Rain Dried By White Moon
by angelaxoxo
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki had always thought he was healthy until he finds his wife cheating on him. After nearly killing the man, Ichigo is sent to a mental hospital where he meets many others like him, including the beautiful but misunderstood Rukia Kuchiki and his life is changed forever.
1. The Fire

**Hello everyone! This is chapter 1 of Rain Dried by White Moon. I got the idea from re-watching Silver Linings Playbook. It's such a good movie and I recommend you all watch it!**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The Fire

"OK, breathe in and out," Ichigo Kurosaki said as he pressed the stethoscope against the patient's chest.

His patient, a blonde man, inhaled and exhaled. Ichigo could faintly hear sniffles.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before," Ichigo said. He removed the earpieces from his ears and set the stethoscope aside.

The man shook his head. "I just moved here a week ago."

"That makes sense," Ichigo said. "What was your name again?"

"Kira, Izuru."

Ichigo slipped his hands into the pocket of his white lab coat. "Now tell me, Izuru, do you have insurance?"

Izuru shook his head and smiled. "Never needed it."

Ichigo paced around the room. "Izuru, let me tell you a story about a man named Pizuru who had no insurance."

"Me."

Ichigo ignored Izuru. "Pizuru sadly, had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and needed a lung transplant. But since he didn't have insurance, he couldn't afford it."

Izuru paled. Ichigo pretended not to notice.

"And since he had such a serious pre-existing condition, no insurance company would cover for him. He died within a few days." Ichigo stopped pacing and sighed. "If only Pizuru had gotten insurance _before_ a doctor diagnosed him!"

There was a troubled look on poor Izuru's face. He got up from the chair and quickly exited the room. Ichigo heard the door open and then close.

"ICHIGOO..!" Ichigo's father, Isshin, raced into the room and aimed a kick at Ichigo. Ichigo knocked Isshin's foot away.

"What do you want now, old man?"

"I heard what you were telling Izuru!" Isshin scolded. "Is that your way of telling a patient that he was going to die?!"

"Of course not!" Ichigo said. "I'm not _that_ cruel!"

"Then why did you scare him with that insurance story?!"

Ichigo rolled his brown eyes. "The guy didn't have insurance. I was just convincing him to get one."

Isshin blinked. "Oh? Is that so?"

Ichigo nodded.

Isshin leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms. "Did he really need one?"

"Need what?"

"A transplant."

Ichigo laughed. "Nah, all he had was a cold. But who knows, maybe one day Izuru will need a transplant and he'll look back and think, 'Wow, I'm sure glad I listened to Dr. Kurosaki!'"

Isshin chuckled. "I really shouldn't be finding this funny. You're lucky you're a good doctor, otherwise you would've been in deep trouble."

Ichigo smirked. "It also helps that I'm your son."

"Never use that as an excuse," Isshin said. He glanced up at the clock. It was 5:22 PM. "We don't have any more patients today, so you can go home."

Ichigo shrugged off his white coat and hung it up. "OK thanks." Ichigo began making his way out. "Good night old man!"

Ichigo didn't have to look to know that Isshin was smiling. "Night Ichigo! Tell Orihime I said 'hi!'"

Ichigo instantly smiled as he thought about his beautiful, loving, orange haired wife. "I will."

When Ichigo stepped outside and closed the door behind him, he was met with a peaceful autumn breeze. Autumn was by far Ichigo's favorite season. Winter was too cold and the snow also turned into disgusting, gray mush. Spring was pretty with all the brightly colored flowers, but the weather shifted too often and all the sneezing fro allergies annoyed Ichigo. Summer was always uncomfortably hot. In Autumn, it was never too hot nor too cold and the splash of red, orange, and yellow on the trees and ground brought peace to Ichigo's mind.

Ichigo got into his black Toyota. As he buckled his seat belt, he glanced at the sign that read "Kurosaki Clinic." Ichigo's gaze softened. The house he grew up in was attached to the clinic. One of the benefits of working for his father was that Ichigo would never have to worry about being homesick. Ichigo reminisced the many joyful nights he spent with his father, his younger sisters, and his mother…

The smile fell from Ichigo's face. He suppressed the feeling of loneliness and pushed away the image of that kind smile.

Ichigo inserted the key into the ignition. He twisted the key, causing the car to whir. Ichigo hit the gas pedal.

He drove home slowly. There was no need to rush.

It must have gotten windy outside because the leaves were dancing in the air. It was a beautiful sight, but Ichigo knit his eyebrows. His guts told him that the leaves were trying to send a message. They seemed to be…foreboding something.

Ichigo shrugged. What was he thinking? Of course there wasn't some sort of message. Ichigo was just being superstitious, which was strange since Ichigo never really was.

_Huh, I'm becoming more and more like Orihime._

* * *

><p>Ichigo slowly parked into the driveway of his white colonial house. Ichigo checked his watch as he walked to his front step.<p>

5:46. Ichigo didn't usually get home until 6:30.

Ichigo smiled. Orihime would be pleasantly surprised.

_I'll surprise her even more tonight once we get into bed._

Ichigo opened his door. He was about to call out for Orihime but stopped himself. Ichigo decided that he would scare her instead.

Ichigo slowly shut the door. _Where should I hide?_

Ichigo crept up the stairs. When he reached the top, he saw Orihime's clothes scattered across the floor. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

He stared straight ahead. The bathroom door was ajar and he could see Orihime standing in the shower.

_Come to think of it, we've never showered together before. I better change that._

Smirking, Ichigo unbuttoned his shirt.

He pushed the door open.

The smirk faded almost immediately. A freezing sensation shot through all of Ichigo's veins.

Orihime squeaked in surprise and horror as she pulled away from a muscular man with a shock of blue hair. The man, who had been kneeling down, got up. He was taller than Ichigo and a little more muscular.

He was also naked.

Ichigo felt his stomach churn. There was a liquid that wasn't water dripping from the man's mouth. The man licked the liquid off. While Orihime covered her large breasts and refused to meet Ichigo's brown eyes, the man stared hard at Ichigo. He seemed to be challenging him.

Ichigo saw red.

An intense fire that Ichigo had never felt before erupted in him. The heat was so powerful that Ichigo didn't _feel_ like he was on fire, he _was_ fire.

He was a fire that wanted everything to burn in hell for all of eternity.

Ichigo couldn't remember what happened next. Someone might have said something. All he knew was that he had his hands wrapped around the man's throat.

The man jerked back and ripped Ichigo's hands off. He got into a perfect boxer stance and sent a flurry of punches at Ichigo. Each punch created dark spots around Ichigo's vision and knocked the wind out of him. He heard an unpleasant crack. Despite all that, the pain seemed distant.

Ichigo's anger was overpowering the pain.

Ichigo grabbed the man's arm and twisted it as hard as he could. He heard and felt the bone break. The sound satisfied him slightly.

The man cried out in agony and rage. With his good hand, he grabbed Ichigo's head and pushed him down. There was a rough pounding in Ichigo's head as he was slammed against the porcelain floor. The man straddled Ichigo and punched him across the face.

Ichigo spit at the man's face. His tooth shot into the man's eye, forcing him to back away.

Ichigo lunged forward and tackled into the man. He straddled him and punched his chiseled face with all his might. The man flailed his arms around wildly, but Ichigo refused to let go.

Orihime was screaming for Ichigo to stop. Ichigo felt her arms wrap around his torso. She was trying to pull his off.

Normally, Orihime's touch was more than enough to calm down Ichigo. This time, however, her touch only amplified the rage in the deepest depth of Ichigo's soul. He wanted nothing more than to destroy every inch of the man who stole his wife. No, that was far from enough. He wanted to completely erase the bastard's existence.

Ichigo screamed in rage and continued sending punches at the man, whose face was a bloody mess.

_There's not enough blood_.

_There should be more blood._

Orihime was crying. "STOP, ICHIGO, STOP!"

The man grabbed Ichigo's shoulders. Ichigo pulled them off and punched the man in the head. The man's eyes rolled back.

But Ichigo still didn't stop.

He _couldn't _stop.

It was as if Satan himself was possessing him.

"GRIMMJOW NOO!"

Hearing the man's name cut Ichigo like a sword. He punched even harder, if that was possible. Ichigo could feel the man's body go limp.

The next several minutes were a blur. Strangers in blue uniforms stormed into the bathroom and pulled Ichigo away from the unconscious man. There was a lot of shouting, but Ichigo couldn't hear a single word they said. The shouts pounded in Ichigo's ears.

One of the men tried to handcuff Ichigo. Ichigo wrenched himself away from the man and kneed him where the sun doesn't shine. The man doubled over. Ichigo was about to launch another attack when his companions leaped onto Ichigo. The weight of the men held him down. Ichigo squirmed and cussed. He could still see the fire.

Ichigo felt something sharp sink into his neck and he tumbled into darkness.

* * *

><p>Ichigo sat in the court room stiffly. He stared at Orihime blankly. Orihime was wearing a black blazer and black pencil skirt. She looked beautiful, but her gray eyes wore a serious look. Ichigo was used to seeing his wife smiling.<p>

Orihime was speaking now. Her tone had an edge to it. Ichigo couldn't really comprehend what his wife was saying., except for three words.

_Divorce._

_Restraining order._

Those words stabbed Ichigo and left him in a state of pain and confusion. Orihime loved him, right? They had been happily married for four years. Did she seriously want to leave him?

The rest of the trial moved on painfully slow. Ichigo didn't pay much attention to what the judge was saying. He was focused on Orihime.

Orihime refused to look at him the whole time. Her gaze wouldn't even go to his general direction.

Ichigo's heart shattered. Some of the words the judge said didn't help.

_Grimmjow nearly died._

_Mentally unstable._

_Bipolar disorder._

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was a healthy man! If he was sick, he would know. After all, Ichigo was a _doctor._

Ichigo desperately wanted to protest, but something inside him was preventing him form doing so. Maybe he was hoping that Orihime would change her mind, that she would realize that Ichigo was still the same man she fell in love with.

Or maybe he had already lost hope.

"Kurosaki, Ichigo will live in the psychiatric hospital Las Noches until he recovers," the judge, an elderly man with a long beard, said. He slammed the gavel down.

Two men grabbed Ichigo's arms and practically dragged him out of the room. Ichigo turned his head back.

Orihime had her back turned to him. Even now, she didn't look at him.

Ichigo's head slumped as he waited for his new life without Orihime to begin.

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><p><strong>Short chapter but I hope it's enough to satisfy.<strong>

**What will Ichigo's new life be like? Tune in next time to find out!**


	2. Mentally Unhealthy

**A lot of people seemed to like the 1st chapter which made me really glad! Hope you like chapter 2 just as much!  
><strong>

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Mentally Unhealthy

A white car with the words "Las Noches Mental Institution" labeled on it slowed to a stop in front of a tall, white tower. A young woman with a long black braid got out. She stood outside and tapped her foot.

"Mr. Kurosaki, we are here already. Please get out of the car."

Ichigo hesitated and slowly got out of the car. He clutched his brown suitcase tightly and looked up at the tower.

Las Noches was one of the most famous psychiatric hospitals in the world. The head of Las Noches, Sosuke Aizen, had a strange way of running the place. Whatever he did, it worked.

The car drove away. Ichigo stared longingly at it. A part of him wanted to hijack the car and drive away.

"This way, Mr. Kurosaki," his companion, Retsu Unohana said. She attempted to take Ichigo's luggage, but he didn't let her.

"Just call me Ichigo," Ichigo replied.

Ichigo followed Unohana into the building. The layout of the lobby was like any other hospital except, this one was much fancier. The reception desk was made out a creamy colored wood. The chairs, which were a beige color, looked more expensive than Ichigo's couch. A large blue, disco ball shaped light hung from the ceiling.

Unohana pointed at one of the couches. "Wait there while I go check you in."

Ichigo grit his teeth and plopped onto the couch. The cushion groaned under his weight. It was extremely soft. _Am I in a hospital or a hotel?!_

Ichigo crossed his arms behind him and leaned back. He wondered what Orihime was doing. Did she regret cheating on him? What did he even do to deserve this? He hadn't been a bad husband.

Unohana walked up to him. When she saw the expression on his face, she said, "I know you're upset about being here, but we will make your stay as comfortable as possible. Hopefully, you'll be cured in no time. Now, follow me. I'm going to take you to your room."

Stifling a sigh, Ichigo picked up his suitcase and followed Unohana.

Unohana pressed the up button of an elevator. After a few seconds, the door opened. A large man and a young man with blue hair walked out.

The man with blue hair bowed. "Good morning, Miss Unohana!"

Unohana smiled sweetly as she and Ichigo stepped into the elevator. "Good morning, Hanataro! Good morning, Mr. Omaeda!"

The large man, Omaeda, grinned proudly. "I'm going home now, Unohana! I'm cured!"

Unohana beamed. "Congratulations!"

Ichigo felt envious.

The elevator doors closed. Unohana pressed the number 15.

As the elevator moved up, Ichigo asked, "Miss Unohana, how long was that patient here?"

Unohana blinked. "Omaeda? He's been here for about fourteen months. He had an eating disorder."

"How long do you think I'll be here?"

Unohana gave Ichigo a reassuring look. "Don't fret, Mr. Kurosaki, I'm sure you'll be out soon."

"You really don't have to address me so formally," Ichigo said. "I prefer being called 'Ichigo.'"

The elevator slowed until it stopped. The doors slid open. Unohana and Ichigo walked out.

Like the lobby, the hallway reminded Ichigo of a hotel. The doors to each room were painted a different color.

Unohana stopped in front of an orange door. "1510" was the room number. Unohana pulled out the room key and inserted it into the lock. A green light flashed and Unohana opened the door.

"Welcome to your room!"

The room was larger than Ichigo thought it would be. There were two beds which were both neatly fixed. In between the beds was a bedside table. A closet stood on the other side of each bed. A plasma screen TV was stationed in front of the beds. There was a large window that showed a grew view of Karakura Town. There was a door at the corner of the room which probably led to the bathroom.

_Bathroom._ Ichigo pushed away the image of a naked Orihime and Grimmjow.

The room was simple, but had a luxurious feel to it.

Ichigo was annoyed.

"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo snapped.

Unohana was surprised. "Excuse me?"

"This is a _hospital_," Ichigo said. "Why is this place designed to look like a five star hotel?"

"This is one of Mr. Aizen's ways of helping the sick," Unohana answered calmly. "He believes that if the patients live comfortably, their mind will be more at peace and they will recover sooner."

It _did_ make sense. Ichigo nodded at the second bed. "Why are there two beds? Am I sharing a room with someone?"

Unohana nodded. "Another one of Aizen's strategies is to have the patients get as much company as possible. Loneliness kills, you know."

_Trust me, I know._ "So who's my room mate?" Ichigo placed his suitcase down next to the first bed.

"Hitsugaya, Toshiro," Unohana said. "He's a couple of years younger than you, 27 I think. He's been diagnosed with OCD."

OCD. Obsessive-compulsive Disorder. An anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that cause the victim to feel uneasy. People with OCD tended to have strange habits and follow a strict schedule.

"Oh," Ichigo said.

Unohana turned around. "Unpack and get yourself settled. I'm going to come back in half an hour and bring you to your therapist."

Unohana exited the room and shut the door. Ichigo opened his suitcase and pulled out his clothes. He opened the closet and hung his shirts and jackets. He tossed his pants into the drawer beneath the closet.

Ichigo rummaged through his suitcase. He took out his favorite books (_Works of William Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, _and _1984_) and tucked them neatly in the bedside table drawer. There were other books in there already, probably Toshiro's, but Ichigo moved them aside. Next, Ichigo took out some pictures of his friends and family. There was some tape in the cabinet the TV was placed on, so Ichigo taped his pictures up. He smiled as he examined the pictures. All of them told a story; Ichigo and his childhood friend Tatsuki sparring with each other (he lost), Christmas photo of his family, playing beach volleyball with Uryu, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro…his wedding with Orihime.

Ichigo frowned. He probably shouldn't have brought that photo.

Ichigo took his laptop out of his suitcase ("Aizen doesn't want the patients to feel trapped so depending on what they're diagnosed with, patients are allowed to bring technology").

As Ichigo was putting his laptop in the bedside drawer, he noticed a framed picture on the table. In the picture was a young man with spiky white hair and bright blue eyes wearing a tuxedo. He was standing next to a woman with dark haired tied back into a bun. She wore a strapless white dress and a veil. _This must be Toshiro and his wife._

Ichigo wondered what Toshiro was like. How OCD was he? Was he smart, was he friendly?

Ichigo lay on the bed, which was really comfortable, and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Ichigo!" A fifteen year old Ichigo turned at the sound of his name. His childhood friend, Tatsuki was running up to him. A girl with orange hair was with her.<em>

_"Ichigo, this is Orihime," Tatsuki said, gesturing at the girl. "She's new here."_

_"Hi," Ichigo said curtly. _

_Tatsuki smacked Ichigo's head._

_"What the hell, Tatsuki! I said hi!"_

_"You don't sound sincere enough!" Tatsuki said. "Orihime's new! You have to make her feel welcomed."_

_Orihime laughed. Her laugh reminded Ichigo of a bell. "Thank you, Tatsuki-chan, but I feel welcomed already!"_

_Orihime extended her hand. "Inoue, Orihime."_

_Ichigo took her hand. It was as soft as a baby's cheek. "Kurosaki, Ichigo."_

"Mr. Kurosaki?"

Ichigo opened his eyes. Unohana was standing above him.

"Mr. Kurosaki, your therapist is ready to see you."

Ichigo yawned and sat up. He rubbed his face. "I thought I told you to call me Ichigo."

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><p>They say that first impressions were the most important impressions. When Ichigo first saw Kisuke Urahara, he thought, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."<p>

Urahara was a middle aged man who wore a dark green and white striped bucket hat. His dark green shirt and pants reminded Ichigo of a kimono and he wore traditional Japanese wooden sandals. His dark green jacket resembled a haori.

This man, who Ichigo mentally nicknamed "Candyman" because of his hat, was Ichigo's therapist. He was the one in charge of curing Ichigo.

Urahara lifted up a fan and covered his face with it. "Pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki Ichigo! My name is Urahara Kisuke." His tone was annoyingly cheery. "Please take a seat."

Ichigo wanted to laugh and cry. "Is this a joke?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Is what a joke?"

"First, my wife cheats on me. Next, I'm diagnosed with bipolar disorder and get sent to a mental hospital that's more like a resort. And now, I'm getting treated by a man who's wearing a bucket hat!"

Urahara laughed. "It does sound odd, doesn't it? But life is strange like that. Now take a seat before I ask Unohana to sedate you."

"I thought this place was supposed to be peaceful," Ichigo said but obeyed.

Urahara placed his fan on the desk and took a pen and a notebook. "So, Mr. Kurosaki, you have bipolar disorder."

"I do _not_," Ichigo said.

"Then why are you here?"

Ichigo clenched his fists. "Look, I caught my wife and a man I've never seen before _in the act_. Of course I was going to be pissed."

"Yes, but you nearly killed Mr. Jaegerjaquez," Urahara pointed out. "Men who are mentally healthy wouldn't react that way."

"I am NOT mentally unstable!" Ichigo snapped.

"Mhmm well if you ask me, you reacted more than you needed to just now."

Ichigo's mouth hung open.

"Now, tell me about the day you found your wife cheating on you."

Ichigo glared at Urahara. "No."

"Weren't you a doctor? You should know better than anyone that talking to someone is one of the best cures."

Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I went to work and convinced a guy to get insurance. Then I went home and saw Orihime with that guy and I nearly killed him. The end."

Recalling the event felt like being stabbed in the back. He _was_ stabbed in the back.

"Oh, but it's _not_ the end," Urahara said. "Tis only the beginning. Now tell me the story again but in detail."

"What's there to tell? Didn't you already see my papers?"

"Listen to what you're saying," Urahara said. "You're 29 years old and you're acting like a spoiled, rebellious 16 year old. Is that what happens to people who receive high paying jobs? Act like other people are not worth their time?"

Ichigo was tempted to punch Urahara. "No, I don't think that. And I'm _not_ acting spoiled and I do_ not_ have bipolar disorder!"

"The more you deny it, the more true it is," Urahara said. "The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. Accept that you're mentally unhealthy."

Ichigo shot up. "GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I AM PERFECTLY HEALTHY!"

Unohana stormed in. "Dr. Urahara! Are you OK?"

Urahara smiled. "_I'm_ OK. My client, however, is not."

Ichigo bit his lip so hard, he drew out blood.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Urahara said calmly. "You are not healthy. No matter how many times you deny it, you are not healthy."

Ichigo stared at Urahara. Without thinking, he punched at the Candyman. Urahara effortlessly blocked the punch.

Urahara jotted something down on his notebook. He ripped the page off and handed it to Ichigo. Ichigo took the paper and read it.

"Take about 1800 milligrams of Lithium per day," Urahara said. He tossed a medicine container at Ichigo. He caught it with one hand. "It will help you control your behavior. Drink eight to twelve glasses of water a day."

Ichigo's lip curled. His entire body shook with anger. "For the last time, I'm not sick. I don't need to take Lithium."

Urahara sighed. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Mr. Kurosaki. If you want to get out soon, you _have _to take it."

Urahara glanced at the clock. It was 5:30.

"You can go back to your room, Mr. Kurosaki," Urahara said. "We'll meet again tomorrow."

Unohana placed her hand on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo shook her hand away.

"I don't need anyone to guide me to my room."

"Sorry Mr. Kurosaki, but it's the rules."

The trip back was quiet since Unohana didn't try to converse with Ichigo. Ichigo was grateful for that. He decided that Unohana was the only sane person in the whole building.

It was strange, actually. Las Noches had thousands of patients yet, Ichigo didn't see anyone on the way back except for the male nurse he saw this morning and a petite woman with violet eyes.

"Where is everyone?" Ichigo asked once they reached his room.

Unohana shrugged. "They could be anywhere. There's a lot of things to do at Las Noches like watching a movie, swimming-"

"_Swimming_?!"

Unohana nodded. "Some patients find peace in the water."

"But what if someone with depression tries to drown themselves?!"

Unohana unlocked the door and opened it. "Don't worry, Mr. Kurosaki. The doors to the pool are locked at night and no patient is allowed near the pool without a nurse."

Ichigo walked into his room. He turned around. "Thank you, Unohana. I think I just might make it out alive because of you."

Unohana smiled. "It's my job." She paused. "Please address me as _Miss_ Unohana."

Ichigo smirked. "I'll call you Miss Unohana if you call me Ichigo."

Unohana shook her head, but she was still smiling. "It's unprofessional to do that, Mr. Kurosaki."

"Then call me Ichigo when there's no one else around," Ichigo said.

Unohana sighed. "If you really want to…but only if we're alone."

"Yeah," Ichigo said.

Unohana began closing the door. "Remember to take the Lithium…Ichigo. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you." Ichigo said. Unohana shut the door.

Ichigo sat on his bed and held up the orange container of Lithium up to his face. After a moment, he opened the container and took out a pill. He reluctantly popped the pill into his mouth.

Ichigo lay onto his bed, crossing his arms behind him. Urahara's words rang in his head.

_You are not healthy. No matter how many times you deny it, you are not healthy._

Ichigo closed his eyes. Ichigo had always believed that he was a healthy man. There was no doubt that his physical health wasn't in danger. But now, it seemed that Ichigo couldn't say the same about his mental health.

_The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem._

Ichigo took a deep breath. "I have a problem. I have bipolar disorder. I am mentally unhealthy."


	3. Las Noches, Sweet Las Noches

**Fuck yeah chapter 3!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

Las Noches, Sweet Las Noches

When Ichigo woke up the next morning, a man with spiky white hair and blue eyes was standing over him. He was glaring at him.

"W-What do you want?" Ichigo asked, not fully awake.

"Please explain to me why my books were moved."

"Huh?"

A muscle in the man's eye twitched. "My books were stacked perfectly aligned. You moved them and now the books are unaligned."

The gears in Ichigo's brain turned slowly. "Are you…Toshiro?"

"I'd rather you call me Hitsugaya," Toshiro said coldly. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Jesus, even Omaeda knew better."

Ichigo sat up. "What did I even do to you?"

"Were you listening?! You moved my books without my permission!"

"I was just making room for my books!"

"Maybe but because of you, my books aren't aligned." Toshiro opened the drawer. "Fix it."

Ichigo grit his teeth and knelt down in front of the drawer. As he aligned the books, his hands lingered on the top one. His eyes widened when he recognized the disembodied eyes and cherry red lips. Ichigo wondered how he hadn't noticed it yesterday.

"You like _The Great Gatsby_?"

"Of course," Toshiro said. His tone was serious but his gaze softened slightly. "It's a classic."

Ichigo smiled. "I hated Daisy."

"Fitzgerald made her an unlikable character on purpose," Toshiro said. "She's supposed to represent the so-called 'American Dream.'" Toshiro smiled. "I can go on and on about that novel, but I don't think you'd want to hear it."

Ichigo chuckled. "Not now, but one day maybe. I like hearing people's analysis."

Ichigo stood up. Toshiro only went up to his chest. "Did you see the movie?"

Toshiro shook his head. "I'm always scared of movies ruining the book."

"I didn't want to watch it either, but my wi-" Ichigo caught himself. He felt a pang in his heart. "My ex-wife loves DiCaprio so we watched it and I have to say, I was satisfied. DiCaprio is an amazing actor."

Toshiro laughed. "He is. Too bad he hasn't won an Oscar yet."

Ichigo laughed. "The man deserves one."

Toshiro cleared his throat and extended his hand. "I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm Hitsugaya, Toshiro."

Ichigo shook Toshiro's hand. "Kurosaki, Ichigo."

Suddenly, Ichigo heard a trumpet. The trumpet was playing the Reveille.

"Good morning, soldiers!" A man said once the song ended. It was Aizen. "It's a beautiful November morning! For breakfast, we're serving pancakes with a side of scrambled eggs!"

Ichigo glanced at the digital clock.

"The wake up call is at 7:30," Toshiro said. "We're given about ten minutes to get dressed and go to the cafeteria."

Ichigo brushed his shirt. He had fallen asleep in his clothing. Even though he had worn it yesterday, Ichigo didn't feel like changing.

"Ready when you are," Ichigo said.

Toshiro smirked. "Kurosaki, I have OCD. I'm always going to be ready before you."

* * *

><p>Each floor had their own cafeteria so Ichigo didn't feel claustrophobic as he and Toshiro entered the room.<p>

Unohana and a few other nurses were serving the food. Unohana smiled at Ichigo when they made eye contact.

"How was your first night?" Unohana asked as she placed two pancakes and some scrambled eggs onto Ichigo's plate.

"I slept well if that's what you're asking," Ichigo said.

Ichigo followed Toshiro to one of the tables. A muscular man with spiky black hair and scars all over his face along with a voluptuous strawberry blonde woman were sitting there.

The woman turned and beamed at Toshiro. Her teeth were pearly white. "Morning, Toshiro! Who's your new friend?"

Toshiro sat down next to her. Ichigo took a seat next to the man.

"This is Kurosaki, Ichigo," Toshiro said. "He likes _The Great Gatsby_."

The woman extended her arm across the table. Ichigo shook it and stared at her gorgeous face. Her light blue eyes and the beauty mark near her lip looked familiar.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Are you-?"

"Matsumoto, Rangiku," the woman said. "You know me?"

Ichigo grinned. "My wife loves you! Oh god, Orihime will be so jealous once she hears that I met you."

Ichigo wanted to kick himself. He kept forgetting that Orihime divorced him.

Rangiku giggled. "Your wife has good taste."

Rangiku Matsumoto was a Victoria's Secret Model. She was Orihime's woman crush. Actually, Rangiku was pretty much the woman of every man's dreams and the envy of every woman because of her great body and beautiful face.

What was a woman like Rangiku doing in a mental hospital?

Rangiku seemed to have read his mind. "Drinking," Rangiku said. "I had a bad habit of relying on alcohol to solve my problems." Rangiku's blue eyes grew distant, as if she remembered something painful.

The man sitting next to Ichigo said, "I'm Zaraki, Kenpachi. Try to stay on my good side if you want to get out alive."

Ichigo studied Kenpachi's face. He seemed friendly enough, but his last comment discomforted him.

"I'll do my best," Ichigo said.

Toshiro leaned forward. Sensing that Toshiro wanted to tell him something, Ichigo leaned forward and cocked his head.

"Kenpachi has sadistic personality disorder," Toshiro whispered. "He's a lot better now, but if you piss him off, you're going to regret it."

Toshiro pulled away. He smiled at Kenpachi, who grinned back.

"Telling the new guy about me?" Kenpachi asked.

Toshiro took his fork and knife. "I like Kurosaki. I don't want him to get seriously hurt."

Toshiro began carefully cutting his pancakes. He stuck his tongue out in concentration.

"So Ichigo, what were you in your past life?" Kenpachi asked.

Ichigo picked up his glass go milk and took a few gulps. He placed the cup down and licked his upper lip to remove the white stain. "I was a doctor. Ever heard of the Kurosaki Clinic?"

"Nope," Kenpachi said. "But I do know what a doctor is. _Damn_. How did a doctor end up in a crazy hospital?"

"I have bipolar disorder," Ichigo said as casually as possible. Toshiro, Kenpachi, and Rangiku seemed comfortable talking about their problems. Ichigo figured that he should be the same.

"Bipolar?" Kenpachi's black eyes flickered with interest. "Do you get violent when you lose it?"

_Yeah sure, I nearly killed someone once._

"Depends," Ichigo said. He stabbed an egg with his fork and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed it vigorously and swallowed. The image of Grimmjow's empty eyes haunted Ichigo's mind.

"Hey." Rangiku's voice caught Ichigo's attention. "Since you're new here, there's a lot you need to learn."

Ichigo shook his head. "It's OK. If I have any questions, I can ask Unohana."

"Unohana?" Kenpachi stared at the lunch line and grinned. "Damn, the things I would do to her…that woman is sexy as fuck."

Ichigo nearly fell out of his chair when he heard that. He looked over at Unohana. Her lips and sapphire eyes smiled kindly at the patients as she handed them seconds.

She _was_ pretty. But _sexy_? It seemed unlikely that 'sexy' was even in her dictionary.

"Give up, Kenpachi," Toshiro said. His tone was half joking half serious. "She'd get in so much trouble if she even fantasized about you. Besides, she's rejected you so many times."

Kenpachi rolled his eyes. "She's just playing hard to get."

"OK, we're getting off-topic," Rangiku said. She looked squarely at Ichigo. "I wasn't talking about the schedule here or anything. I was talking about the more social aspect of Las Noches."

Ichigo scratched his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ever watched the movie _Mean Girls_?"

"Of course," Ichigo said. The film had come out when Ichigo was still in high school. His friend, Tatsuki, forced all of her friends into watching the movie with her, including the guys. Ichigo had walked into the theatre expecting to fall asleep within the first five seconds. However, the opening credits were shown in such an eery way that Ichigo wondered if they were watching a chick flick or a horror movie. The thought of Lindsay Lohan's character potentially dying excited Ichigo. The movie turned out to be far from scary, but Ichigo found himself laughing the entire time.

"It was such a great movie," Rangiku said. "Anyways, remember the scene where Janice was telling Cady about the cliques?"

Ichigo winced. "Oh god, don't tell me that Las Noches is like that."

Rangiku smiled. "Well, not exactly but there are cliques."

Rangiku's blue eyes darted around the room. Ichigo followed her gaze, which landed on a group of…larger people. One of them, a man with dark skin, laughed obnoxiously loud.

"People with eating disorders, particularly the binge eaters, tend to hang out with each other," Rangiku said. Her eyes shifted to a table with guys and girls staring lecherously at each other. A woman with red hair and glasses attempted to grope a nearby girl.

"Those are the sex addicts," Rangiku said.

"Oh." Ichigo looked around the room. His eyes fell on a petite woman. The woman was sitting at a table next to the window, near the corner of the room.

She was alone.

"Who's that?" Ichigo asked.

Rangiku turned around. "That's Kuchiki, Rukia. She's like you, I think. She has bipolar disorder. Apparently, she's also a sex addict."

Ichigo knit his eyebrows. "Why is she sitting alone?"

"Kuchiki has no control," Toshiro replied. "One minute she'll be completely calm, the next she'll be trying to claw your eyes out."

"She's like me except she doesn't enjoy hurting others," Kenpachi explained.

Ichigo stared at Rukia, who was eating her pancakes in a lady-like fashion. Several strands of her raven hair hung loosely between her violet eyes, which seemed to be a mix of every shade of blue and purple and were the size of golfballs. It was scientifically proven that large eyes were attractive, but at the moment, Ichigo found it difficult to find Rukia attractive. Her eyes were just so…vacant…as if she wouldn't care if a giant tsunami suddenly appeared and drowned everyone.

Someone waved their hand in front of Ichigo's face.

"Hello, earth to Ichigo?" It was Toshiro.

Ichigo blinked a few times and smiled. "Hey, I've been telling you guys about me. Wanna tell me about you?"

Toshiro leaned back in his chair. "Ask me anything."

Ichigo tapped his chin. "Mhmm, how long have you guys been here?"

"I've been here for four months exactly," Toshiro said.

Rangiku twirled a stand of her hair. "About two years."

"Three years," Kenpachi said. He shrugged. "I'm probably going to live here for the rest of my life."

"I'm sure you'll be cured one day." Ichigo enunciated every word.

Kenpachi let out a rowdy laugh, leaving Ichigo confused.

"W-What's so funny?"

"You sound serious as shit," Kenpachi said. "Look Ichigo, I've accepted a long time ago that I can never change and I'm fine with that. This place has become my home. Besides, if I leave, I won't be able to see Unohana as much."

"You won't be able to be with Unohana if you're her patient," Ichigo pointed out.

"Shit, Ichigo I don't want to marry her," Kenpachi said. "I'm more interested in the fucking."

Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Toshiro.

"Just let it go, Kurosaki," Toshiro said. "I've already tried to convince Kenpachi to give up."

Ichigo sighed. "Fine." He paused. "So…Toshiro…you married?"

Toshiro smiled. Ichigo had seen Toshiro smile before, but this was different. It was much more genuine, almost loving, and his blue eyes wore a much more relaxed look.

"Yeah," Toshiro said proudly. "I'm married. Her name's Momo."

Rangiku giggled. "Einstein here acts so adorable whenever she comes to visit. He blushes so hard."

Toshiro's eyes shot daggers at Rangiku. "Quit calling me Einstein! I can't help if my hair's naturally white and spiky!"

"Ah, come on Einstein! It's a compliment!"

"You're making fun of my hair! How the hell is that a compliment?!"

Ichigo smiled as the two bickered. Kenpachi turned to Ichigo and asked, "So Ichigo, what's your woman like?"

Ichigo cocked his head. "Why did you assume I was married?"

Kenpachi scratched his head. "Maybe my memory has gotten fuzzy, but didn't you earlier that your wife loved Rangiku?"

_Yes, I did say that_. Ichigo felt the sudden urge to kick himself again.

"I'm not married anymore," Ichigo said, forcing a smile onto his face. "It…just didn't work out."

"Too bad," Kenpachi said. "She lost a good one. No homo."

Despite the change in his mood, Ichigo chuckled. "Thanks Kenpachi."

* * *

><p>Although Ichigo was still upset about Orihime, for the first time since he came to Las Noches, Ichigo felt like he belonged.<p>

"No!" Ichigo snapped.

"Why not?" Urahara whined.

"I'm not going to talk to a man I barely know about my wife!" Ichigo's fingers curled and gripped the arms of the leather chair tightly. He had walked into the room expecting Urahara to ask normal questions, something along the lines of, "how was your day?" But as soon as Ichigo's ass made contact with the seat, Urahara asked Ichigo to tell him about Orihime. Maybe if he knew Urahara long enough, he would have, but Ichigo had only met Urahara yesterday. It also didn't help that Ichigo strongly disliked Urahara.

"I'm your therapist," Urahara said. "You're supposed to tell me all your secrets. Don't worry, I won't tell _anyone_, not even my wife."

"Well, two can keep a secret if one of them is dead," Ichigo snarled.

A part of Ichigo hoped that Urahara would cower in the corner. Instead, Urahara laughed. God, his laugh was irritating.

"I'm not asking you about your sex life, Mr. Kurosaki," Urahara said. "Frankly, I'd rather not hear about it. But I am interested to know about your past with Mrs. Inoue."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"I'm not a cat, Mr. Kurosaki," Urahara said. "My wife, however, might be one. She's just as flexible as a cat. It's really fun whenever we pretend to be lions and-"

Ichigo looked away and waved his hand in front of his face. "TOO MUCH INFORMATION!"

Urahara clapped his hands like the retarded seal he was. "You have the funniest reactions, you know that?"

"I thought you were supposed to help me," Ichigo said dryly. "Not burn scarring images into my mind."

"I am trying to help you," Urahara replied calmly. "But you are not cooperating."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "How is talking about Orihime supposed to help?"

"We're here to talk about your problems," Urahara answered. "Your relationship with your ex-wife is one of your problems. Now tell me how it all started."

Ichigo hesitated. He wanted to keep the happy memories to himself.

But he also needed to get out.

Ichigo sighed. "We met in high school."

Urahara had hid his face behind his fan. Ichigo wondered if Urahara was mentally judging him for marrying a girl from high school. _He probably thinks we got married right after graduation._

"She was a new student at Karakura High," Ichigo continued. He shut his eyes for a moment as he remembered the first time he saw her. "My friend Tatsuki introduced me to her. Every teenager goes through an awkward phase, but Orihime never seemed to go through said phase." _She was a flower, a blossomed flower._ "She was pretty, had a developed chest, was sweet and ranked third in the grade. She was perfect...and just a friend."

Urahara's expression was unreadable. "And then?"

"Then one day, her brother got into a car accident." Ichigo shut his eyes. It had been a rainy night. He could still remember Orihime's teary face as she begged her brother to survive. "Her brother was sent to the Kurosaki Clinic. Naturally, Orihime was there so I comforted her and…we fell in love."

Urahara remained silent. Ichigo opened his eyes and frowned.

"Are you just going to sit there or are you going to say something?!"

Urahara lowered his fan. "Your relationship had a healthy start. Did you have any sudden mood swings around that time?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I lost my temper sometimes, but it wasn't anything serious."

"Then something happened as the years went by," Urahara said. He glanced at the clock and sighed. "I wasted precious time trying to get you to open up. We'll have to continue this tomorrow. Are you taking the Lithium?"

Ichigo stood up and nodded.

"And are you drinking enough water?"

Ichigo stifled a groan. "I'm not a child, Urahara. I don't need to be reminded to take my meds."

Ichigo opened the door. Unohana was standing outside, patiently waiting for him.

"And I don't need someone to escort me to my room."

Unohana and Urahara laughed. Ichigo crossed his arms and pouted. He felt like a five year old being laughed at by his parents for saying "I'm an adult!"

"Come on, Mr. Kurosaki," Unohana said between giggles. "I haven't given you a proper tour of Las Noches. What would you like to see first?"

Without hesitation, Ichigo said, "The library."

Ichigo waved Urahara goodbye and followed Unohana through the freshly scented hallway. 

* * *

><p><strong>And that's chapter 3! Toshiro is a bit OOC but I feel like it works in this story. Thoughts?<strong>


	4. Alone

**I had a snow day today so I was able to finish this! Now the moment you've all been waiting for... Ichigo finally meets Rukia!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

Alone

Five days.

That's how long Ichigo Kurosaki had lived in Las Noches so far.

The schedule was practically the same each day. All the routines, from waking up in the morning to taking his pills to confiding in Urahara, was like a reflex now. To Ichigo's surprise, it hadn't been that difficult to adjust to his new life.

Ichigo's day went down like this:

7:30- Wake up. Ichigo had ten minutes to dress up and get to the cafeteria.

7:40- Breakfast. Usually, the breakfast was cereal but once in a while, pancakes or waffles were served.

8:30- Brush teeth, fix bed, take his meds and all that jazz. Toshiro spent a lot of time making sure that there wasn't a single wrinkle on the beds.

9:00- Exercise. To prevent the gym from being too crowded, not everyone exercised at the same time. Rangiku and Toshiro exercised later in the day, but luckily for Ichigo, he had Kenpachi to keep him company. Ichigo liked running on the treadmill while Kenpachi lifted weights.

10:00- Community. The patients on each floor were divided into groups. Each group had to do a bunch of activities together. This morning, Ichigo's group played a bunch of word games.

11:00- Check-Ups. The nurses weighed the patients, checked their physical health etc. to make sure nothing happened over night.

11:15- Relax. Ichigo stayed in his room and chatted with Toshiro, read, or browsed the Internet. Every few days, Ichigo had to do the laundry.

12:30- Lunch. Different main courses were offered each day. Salad was always served.

1:20- Relax. Ichigo liked going to the library, swimming, and playing pool.

4:00- On Sundays, visiting hours.

5:00- Dinner.

5:30- Therapy with Urahara. Although Ichigo could tolerate Urahara, he still didn't like him much.

6:30- Shower.

7:30- Closure group. Ichigo and the other patients had to review their daily goals, if they achieved their goals etc.

8:00- Go back to rooms.

9:00- Night meds.

9:30- Social gatherings. Everyone just hung out in the common room.

11:00- Bed time.

It was dinner now. Ichigo ran his fingers through his damp, orange hair. He went swimming for about half an hour before dinner. Ichigo mentally thanked Aizen for being so considerate. He loved how free he felt when his arms cut through the water, the gentle waves gliding past his body.

"Why are you smiling?" Kenpachi asked as he twirled some spaghetti around his fork.

Ichigo shook his head. "It's nothing."

Ichigo shoveled some spaghetti into his mouth. For hospital food, this spaghetti was pretty decent. Still, Ichigo missed his sister, Yuzu's, cooking. Her dishes were the epitome of food porn. They were neither too sweet nor too salty and tasted like the sweet tears of Jesus.

"Have you been enjoying your stay so far?" Rangiku asked, taking a bite of her salad.

"It's definitely been better than I thought it would be," Ichigo admitted.

Rangiku smiled. "Everyone I've asked has said that." The smile faded away. "It really isn't that bad here, but I can't wait for the day I can march out of Las Noches and tell the world I'm healthy."

Ichigo eyed Rangiku. She seemed perfectly healthy, so why was she still sitting in front of him?

Toshiro nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Momo is pregnant and I want to be able to live with my future baby."

Rangiku's eyes widened. Kenpachi, who had been drinking his water, slammed his cup down and spat the water all over the table. Toshiro, Rangiku, and Ichigo cringed.

"That's disgusting, Kenpachi!" Toshiro sputtered while Kenpachi laughed. Toshiro picked up the many napkins he had taken and began wiping the table.

Rangiku playfully shoved Toshiro. "Yo, I've known you for like four months and you have _never_ told me that Momo was pregnant. How many months so far?"

"Seven," Toshiro said.

"Asshole! I thought we were friends!"

"You couldn't tell?!"

Suddenly, a piercing scream sliced through the air. Toshiro and Rangiku turned around. Ichigo looked over Toshiro's spiky hair.

A girl with schizophrenia was having a break-down. She flailed her arms and legs all over the place, like a toddler having a tantrum. Unohana rushed to the girl's side and gently, but firmly, guided her out of the room. Kenpachi's eyes never left Unohana as he mumbled, "I _would_."

Ichigo, on the other hand, didn't watch the whole thing. His attention was now focused on the person who had been sitting at the table behind the girl: Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia remained indifferent to the situation and calmly sipped her water. She was alone.

Toshiro turned back around. He raised an eyebrow when he looked at Ichigo and followed his gaze.

"Ichigo, why are you staring at Kuchiki?" Toshiro's voice grabbed Ichigo's attention.

"She's sitting alone again," Ichigo said.

"Kuchiki always sits alone," Rangiku said.

"I know." Ichigo glanced back at Rukia. "I feel bad for her. Should we invite her to sit with us?"

Toshiro and Rangiku jumped slightly at Ichigo's suggestion. Even Kenpachi stared at Ichigo.

"No," Toshiro said. He shook his head multiple times. "No no no no no. That's a bad idea."

Ichigo scratched his head. "How come?"

"She has bipolar disorder," Rangiku said. "And unlike you, she has little control over it. I don't want to say the wrong thing and get my head bitten off."

"Plus, she's a sex addict," Toshiro added. "She fucked all of her colleagues. I don't want her to grope my no-no square. Chizuru nearly did that yesterday!"

"That woman is unpredictable," Kenpachi agreed.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes into angry slits. "I don't fucking believe it."

"It's true!" Rangiku said.

"That's not what I mean." Ichigo gritted his teeth. "You guys are in the same situation as Rukia; living in a mental hospital. I can't believe you guys are being so judgmental."

"We're not being judgmental," Toshiro protested. "We know from personal experience that Rukia is a girl you don't want to mess with."

"Well I'm just going to have to prove that Rukia is not different from us." Ichigo held onto his tray and stood up. As he walked to Rukia's table, Toshiro and Rangiku begged Ichigo to come back while Kenpachi muttered, "He's dead."

Ichigo placed his tray onto Rukia's table and pulled up a chair. Rukia eyed him cautiosuly.

Ichigo smiled. "Hi."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

Ichigo extended his hand. "Kurosaki, Ichigo. I'm new here." He waited for Rukia to shake his hand. When she didn't, Ichigo awkwardly pulled his hand away. His smile disappeared

"Why are you sitting here?" Rukia asked. She didn't hide the suspicion in her voice.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "Well you were alone so-"

"So what? You felt bad for me?" Rukia's nostrils flared. "I don't need your pity!"

"You're right, you don't!" Ichigo said quickly. "But I just wanted to get to know everyone. Please give me a chance."

Rukia leaned back and crossed her arms.

"Let's start over, OK?" Ichigo extended his hand again. "I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo."

Rukia hesitated before reluctantly shaking his hand. Her hand was small and delicate. "Kuchiki, Rukia."She quickly let go of Ichigo's hand. "I think I've heard of you. Your wife cheated on you, right?"

Ichigo swallowed. He blocked the image Orihime and Grimmjow's naked bodies from his mind.

"Y-Yeah."

"Sucks," Rukia said unsympathetically. "Welcome to the Singles Club."

"Thanks," Ichigo replied. He looked down at his food and began playing with a meatball with his fork. There was a long, extremely awkward silence between them.

"So, you have bipolar disorder?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah," Rukia said. After a pause, "You do too, right?"

"Yeah." Ichigo slurped a noodle.

Rukia knit her eyebrows. "The food's really not that good."

Ichigo shrugged. "Compared to other hospitals, it's pretty good."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Trust me, I've tried food from other hospitals. Their food tastes the same."

"Trust me, I have too. The food here tastes better." Ichigo paused and smirked. "Maybe you're just a picky eater."

To his surprise, Rukia smiled. Well, it was more of a smirk, but this was the first time Ichigo had seen Rukia's lips curve upward. Amusement glittered in those violet orbs of hers.

She looked…pretty.

"Maybe I am," Rukia said. "My brother is filthy rich, so he always made sure we ate the finest cuisines."

"Who's your brother?"

"Does the name Kuchiki, Byakuya sound familiar?"

Ichigo nearly choked on his spaghetti. "_The_ Kuchiki, Byakuya? As in the business mogul?"

Rukia's smirk became a flat line. Ichigo wondered if he said the wrong thing. "Yeah, that's my brother."

Ichigo stared at Rukia with his mouth hung open. "That's so…oh my god. I can't imagine what life must be like being related to someone so powerful."

Rukia laughed dryly. "I lived a life of luxury, but Byakuya set extremely high expectations for me. Being locked up here was not one of them. According to Byakuya, I'm no longer a Kuchiki."

"Wow," Ichigo said. "That's rough."

"Tell me about it." Rukia leaned on her left elbow. "I've told you about me, now it's your turn."

Ichigo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I was a doctor in my past life."

"Good for you," Rukia said.

Ichigo leaned forward. "What were you?"

"A lawyer."

Ichigo smiled. "Maybe we can save lives together after we're cured."

Rukia snorted. "Sure."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see Toshiro, Rangiku, and Kenpachi silently observing them. Ichigo smirked internally. _They're wrong. Sure, Rukia's hostile but she's not scary._

"I'm serious," Ichigo said. "We can set up a company. I can see it now: The Kurosaki and Kuchiki Hospital/Law Firm! I bet we'll be so successful, that we'll end up taking over the world!"

Rukia was laughing now. Her laugh was deeper than Orihime's, but the sound was pleasant. "World domination sounds cool." Her laughs died down and she eyed him. "You're not worried about me fucking all the employees?"

The smile froze on Ichigo's face. "Huh?"

"I'm sure you've heard about me," Rukia said. "That was I a sex addict. That I fucked all of my colleagues."

"I have," Ichigo admitted. "But those are just rumors, right?"

Rukia's tone was nonchalant as she answered, "No. The rumors are true."

"Oh" was all Ichigo could say. Although Ichigo wasn't a particularly nosey person, he asked, "How many?"

Rukia leaned forward slightly. "Thirteen."

"Damn," Ichigo said. "That's a lot of people."

"I know," Rukia murmured.

Ichigo hesitated. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Go ahead."

Ichigo felt like a pervert. "Were there women?"

Rukia bit her lip. "Yeah."

"How does lesbian sex work?" Ichigo asked. "Did she give you a lap dance or something?"

"Yeah," Rukia said. "Except I was the one who gave her the lap dance."

"How was it?"

Rukia hesitated before answering, "Hot."

"Jesus Christ," Ichigo muttered under his breath. "Have you always been like that?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"

Something about Rukia's tone told Ichigo that he said something wrong. "I don't know, like a-"

"A SLUT?!" Rukia pulled away, seething. Ichigo could sense many heads turning to their direction. "You think I'm a slut now, don't you!?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ichigo protested. "You're just different!"

Rukia's face turned red. "DIFFERENT!? And you're not!? Oh, I get it! To you, I'm not just a slut, I'm a CRAZY slut!" As if to prove her point, Rukia tossed her head back. "AHAHAHAHA!"

Rukia shot up and swiped her arm across the table. Their plates shattered as the trays fell to the floor.

"FUCK YOU!" Rukia marched away. Three people walked after her. Two of them were nurses. The third was Ichigo.

"I'm sorry!" Ichigo said. "I didn't mean that!" He reached out and touched Rukia's shoulder. She whirled around and smacked Ichigo's hand away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The two nurses each took Rukia's arm. Rukia shook them away and stormed off.

Ichigo went after her. "Rukia, wait! I didn't-"

Rukia whirled around and glared fiercely at Ichigo. "YES YOU DID!"

"I didn't!" Ichigo exclaimed. "When I said you were different, I meant different from me! I know I'm different from most people, but I'm not different in the same way you are! I've never participated in that sort of sexual activity!"

"You may not have done the shit that I've done, but you sure as hell enjoyed hearing about it!" Rukia turned around. Ichigo instinctively grabbed her arm. She turned around and ripped her arm away, as if Ichigo was a virus and she would become sick if she touched him.

"Rukia-"

"SHUT UP, OK?! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Tears began forming in her eyes. In a dangerously quiet voice, she added, "I opened up to you, and you judged me. You are an asshole, Kurosaki Ichigo. An ASSHOLE!"

When Rukia marched off, Ichigo didn't go after her. Her words felt like a slap in the face.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt so guilty.

* * *

><p>"Something's bothering you," Urahara said.<p>

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't act clueless, Urahara. I know you heard about what happened during dinner."

"I only know what the nurses told me," Urahara said. "You upset Miss Kuchiki, but no one seems to know why."

"Let me guess, you want me to tell you the details?"

Urahara leaned on his elbow. "Do tell."

Ichigo sighed. "I said something that made Rukia think I was calling her a slut."

Urahara said nothing. He seemed to be thinking hard. Ichigo leaned forward, expecting an insightful comment.

"You know, for a doctor, you're not very smart."

Ichigo bristled. "Gee, thanks!"

"Why did you sit with her in the first place?" Urahara asked. "She's quite intimidating."

Ichigo slumped. "There were a lot of nasty rumors about her. I wanted to prove everyone wrong."

"That's not your job," Urahara pointed out. "If Miss Kuchiki wanted to clear things up, she would've done so a while ago. She's been here for three years, you know."

"What happened to her anyway?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't think I should tell you."

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Look, I hurt Rukia a lot and I want to apologize. But I want to know about her situation, too."

Urahara set his notepad and pen aside. In an uncharacteristically serious tone, he said, "I don't know the details since I'm not her therapist, but I do know one thing. Her husband was murdered."

_Murdered_. That eight letter word echoed through Ichigo's mind. Suddenly, the room began to spin around and Ichigo saw himself standing outside. The chilly air nipped the tip of his nose as fat drops of rain fell from the gray clouds.

Urahara was no longer in front of Ichigo. Instead, a woman with light brown hair collapsed in front of him, brick red blood dripping from her chest.

"Mr. Kurosaki?" Urahara's voice sucked Ichigo out of the rainy scene and back into reality.

Ichigo blinked and shook his head. "Yeah?"

"You look pale," Urahara said.

Ichigo felt dizzy. "I'm fine." After a moment, Ichigo got up. "I need to go find Rukia."

Urahara reached out for him. "Hey, we're not finish-"

Ichigo shut the door and ran off.

When Ichigo found Rukia ten minutes later, she was walking with the male nurse, Hanataro.

Ichigo ran up to them. "Rukia!"

Rukia's back stiffened when she heard his voice, but didn't turn around. She walked faster while Hanataro stopped and turned around.

"Mr. Kurosaki?" Ichigo ignored Hanataro and walked past him.

"Rukia." Ichigo grabbed Rukia's arm. She squirmed and smacked Ichigo's arm, but Ichigo held onto her tightly.

"Rukia, listen to me," Ichigo said calmly.

"Get the fuck away!" Rukia spat.

"No, Rukia," Ichigo replied firmly. "I need to apologize."

"What you need to do, is let me go and never talk to me again!" Rukia was glaring hard at Ichigo, but Ichigo could see the flicker of pain hidden underneath the anger.

Ichigo swallowed. "Rukia, I hurt you."

"Then you better run when you have the chance!" Rukia snapped. "You now the saying, 'what doesn't kill you better run like a black man!'"

Ichigo grit his teeth and placed both hands on Rukia's shoulders. Rukia grabbed his hands and tried to pull them off.

"You're not listening!" In a softer tone, Ichigo added, "Rukia, I heard about your husband."

Rukia froze. A shadow flitted over her eyes. "Let go of me," she whispered.

"Rukia," Ichigo said. "You're not alone. You think that you've lost everything, but you haven't. There are still people in this world who care about you." Ichigo swallowed. "I want us to be friends, Rukia. I know you hate me for breaking your trust, but please…give me another chance. OK?"

Rukia said nothing for what felt like hours. Finally, she looked up, her violet eyes staring intently at Ichigo. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Instead, she pushed Ichigo's hands off her and ran.

* * *

><p><strong>Ichigo and Rukia's meeting was obviously based off of the "I opened up to you" scene in SLP. It was my favorite scene in the movie. I hope I didn't ruin it lol<strong>


	5. Old Friends

**Reading the reviews, I was honestly surprised to see so many people liking my story. I have more confidence in it now thanks to you guys. Thank you all! :)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

Old Friends

The sun shone proudly in the light blue sky. Puffy white clouds drifted by occasionally while the red, yellow, and orange leaves spun in the air. A small gray bird with an orange belly, the Daurian Redstart, flew by, indicating the coming of winter.

It was such a beautiful day and Ichigo longed to step outside and taste the autumn air. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to. According to Unohana, patients in Las Noches could go outside once a week if they had been in Las Noches for at least four months. Of course, their conditions would have to be checked and a nurse would have to escort them. Ichigo couldn't wait to walk through Karakura Town again.

But at the moment, going outside wasn't what Ichigo had been _really _excited for.

Today, he was going to see his family and friends.

Ichigo fidgeted on his bed as he stared at the digital clock. He watched in anticipation as the "0" in 3:50 changed to a "1." Nine minutes left.

Ichigo looked back at the pictures taped to the wall. He observed the picture of his bachelor party. Ichigo was standing in the middle, with a stupid grin on his face and his arms around two men. One of them was Uryu Ishida, a spidery man whose lips were pursed. Uryu wasn't much of a party person. Ichigo knew that Uryu would have preferred staying home and reading, but went to the party out of obligation. Like Rukia, Uryu was a lawyer. Ichigo briefly wondered if they knew each other.

The other guy, was Yasutora "Chad" Sado. Chad was a huge person of Mexican descent. He was about six inches taller than Ichigo, so Ichigo had to raise his arm up high, which looked pretty awkward. Chad was a vet.

Next to Uryu was a guy with brown hair. His cheeks were red and he held up a glass of wine in his hand. Keigo Asano, the former class clown, was a comedian. Ichigo had known Keigo since middle school.

Standing next to Chad was a small guy with blue hair. Even though Mizuiro Kojima looked like a prepubescent boy, he was quite popular with the ladies, including older ones. The real estate agent was a charming fucker.

Ichigo's gaze shifted to a photo of a much younger Ichigo sparring with a girl with boyish hair. The girl, Tatsuki Arisawa, was Ichigo's childhood friend. He hadn't seen Tatsuki in a while since she was always traveling, participating in karate tournaments. Tatsuki was famous now. In fact, she was the strongest woman in Japan. The only times Tatsuki would come back to Karakura was during the holidays or when she offered a few lessons. Last night, Tatsuki posted on Ichigo's Facebook wall that she was visiting him today.

Ichigo looked at another picture. The picture was taken at the house he grew up in. Ichigo was frowning as he watched his father Isshin give his younger sisters, Karin and Yuzu, a giant bear hug. Karin was trying to wrench free from her father's iron grip while Yuzu hugged Isshin back. Karin, the middle child, was a news reporter. Yuzu, who was a year younger, was a chef.

Out of the corner of Ichigo's eye, he saw Toshiro walk into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. His spiky white hair was wet and flat.

"Not going to shower?" Toshiro asked.

"I already did," Ichigo replied.

Toshiro slipped on white jeans and a light blue polo shirt.

"You seem excited," Toshiro said as he plopped onto his bed. He opened up a book and began to read.

Ichigo lay down. "Of course I am." He glanced at Toshiro. "Whatcha' reading?"

Toshiro turned the book to Ichigo's direction. It was titled _The Racial Contract_.

"My therapist lent me this," Toshiro said. "He said I was a smart guy so I should read it."

"What's it about?"

"It's stupid," Toshiro said. "Some American guy wrote about his philosophy of race. According to the author, a colored person's pain will only end if white people die."

"The fuck?" Ichigo said.

"There's a lot of bullshit in this."

"Then why are you still reading it?"

"OCD, remember?" Toshiro said. "I can't start a book and not finish it."

"Ask your therapist if I can borrow that," Ichigo said. "I'm kind of interested."

"Sure." Toshiro tucked a bookmark into the book and closed it. He carefully placed it on the bedside table and smiled.

"It's time."

* * *

><p>Toshiro kissed a young, black haired woman with a round belly. Ichigo's heart pounded as they stood in the common room. His family and friends were probably in the elevator right now. Ichigo wondered how they would react once they reunited. He was pretty sure that Isshin and Yuzu would be crying. While he waited, Ichigo watched Rangiku hug her friends. All her friends were models so Ichigo couldn't help but occasionally glance at their large chests and bottoms.<p>

Suddenly, the bridge of Ichigo's nose got cold. Ichigo turned and dodged an incoming kick just in time. He didn't need to hear the voice to know who it was.

"ICHIGO-AHHH!" Isshin cried as he slammed into the wall.

"What the hell dad?!" Ichigo snapped. "Is that how you greet your sick son?!" Isshin wasn't moving, so Ichigo was sure that the impact knocked him out. Ichigo was about to walk over to Isshin when a bunch of familiar voices called out for him.

"ICHIGO!"

"ICHI-NII!"

A grin spread across Ichigo's face as he turned around. Standing in front of him were Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, Uryu, his wife Nemu, and their 2 year old son, Soken.

Yuzu ran up to Ichigo and wrapped her thin arms around him. She cried into his shirt.

"ICHI-NII!" Yuzu sobbed.

Ichigo patted her back and gently pushed her away. "Yuzu, you're 25 years old. Stop acting like you're 5."

"B-But Ichi-nii! You're in a mental hospital!" Yuzu wailed. "And Orihime-chan divorced you!"

Karin grabbed Yuzu's shirt and pulled her away. She smacked her head. "Sometimes, you talk too much." She glanced up at Ichigo while Yuzu rubbed her head and whimpered. "Hey Nii-"

"ICHIGO!" Keigo tackled into Ichigo. Ichigo stumbled back, but managed to keep his balance.

"ICHIGO I'M SO SORRY!" Keigo cried.

Ichigo patted his back. "It's fine, Keigo. It's not your fault." He paused. "How's Midori?"

Midori was Keigo's on-and-off girlfriend. Last time Ichigo checked, Keigo and Midori were dating.

Keigo's lip quivered. "She dumped me on Friday. Said I was too immature for her and we could never have a future together."

"Doesn't she say that all the time?"

"Yeah but this time she meant it!"

Mizuiro stopped beside them and pulled Keigo off. "Mr. Asano, stop being such a drama queen. We're here to have fun, not worry Ichigo."

"Stop addressing me so formally!" Keigo said.

Ichigo smiled. It was nice to see some things never change.

Uryu, Chad, and Tatsuki walked up to them. Nemu trailed behind with Soken in her arms. Ichigo had always wondered what Uryu saw in Nemu. Sure, she was pretty and seemed smart, but she was so…quiet. Ichigo couldn't remember having a single conversation with her. In fact, he couldn't remember Nemu talking to anyone except Uryu.

"Ichigo…" Tatsuki hugged Ichigo. "Ichigo, I'm so sorry."

Ichigo hugged her back. "Don't be."

"You don't understand," Tatsuki said. "I-I could've stopped this from happening."

Ichigo shoved Tatsuki away and grit his teeth. "There was nothing you could've done." He hated seeing people take the blame for something that wasn't their fault.

Tatsuki stared sadly at Ichigo. "Ichigo, I knew Grimmjow."

Ichigo stared blankly at Tatsuki. The gears in his brain seemed to have stopped moving.

"You know how Karakura Elementary has people with different jobs visit the kindergarteners and tell them about their jobs?" Tatsuki asked. "Well, Grimmjow visited Orihime's class to talk about boxing. He called Orihime "pumpkin" cause of her hair color and that pissed her off. The day was already going badly for her so she invited me over that night to rant. Then some guy broke into the house and Grimmjow, who happened to be walking by, saw this and knocked the guy out. Sometime later, I went shopping with Orihime and we bumped into Grimmjow and his friend. After that, Orihime and Grimmjow grew close and hung out with each other a lot." Tatsuki's gaze fell. "I didn't think something was going on between them, and I thought you knew about Grimmjow so I never told you about him. I'm sorry, Ichigo."

Ichigo stared at Tatsuki, unsure what to feel. The first thing he thought was, _Grimmjow's a boxer? Huh, that explains the stance he took._

"Tatsuki…" Ichigo began. Tatsuki flinched, as if she was expecting Ichigo to yell at her.

"Is Grimmjow a good person?"

Tatsuki looked up at him, startled. "Huh?"

"Is Grimmjow a good person?" Ichigo repeated.

Tatsuki thought about his question. "Generally."

"Good." Ichigo scratched his head. "It's fine, Tatsuki. I appreciate your honesty." He paused and stepped back to get a decent view of everyone. "Look, I don't want to spend the day hearing all of you apologize. Tell me something happy."

Tatsuki smiled after a moment. A light blush appeared on her face. "Well…"

Ichigo's eyes widened as Tatsuki locked her fingers with Chad's. Chad smiled slightly.

"Oh my fucking god!" Ichigo laughed. "Chad, you finally got the balls to ask her, didn't you?"

Chad had been in love with Tatsuki since high school but never acted on his feelings. The big guy was surprisingly shy. It was more than wonderful to see Chad muster the courage to ask Tatsuki out, and for her to say ''yes.''

"How long?" Ichigo asked.

"Two days," Tatsuki said, beaming.

Ichigo smirked. "Well, try not to beat up Chad too often, 'kay?"

Tatsuki's eye twitched. Ichigo prepared to dodge the punch that was definitely going to come. Her punches were strong enough to create a dent in someone's head. Fortunately, Isshin leaped in between them just as Tatsuki made a fist. Unfortunately, Isshin wrapped his arms around Ichigo so tightly, he couldn't breathe.

"ICHIGO!" Isshin cried. "MY ONLY SON! I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! COME HOME NOW!"

Ichigo's arms ached so badly, they might as well have been broken. Unable to tell his hysterical father to let go, Ichigo gasped for air. For the first time in a while, Ichigo was sincerely concerned that death was just around the corner.

Karin smacked Isshin's head, forcing him to let go of Ichigo. As Ichigo panted, he mentally thanked Karin for saving his life.

"Karin, why'd you hit your poor father so hard?" Isshin whimpered as he rubbed his head.

Karin glared at Isshin. "Ichigo looked like he was going to pass out!"

"I can't help that I missed my boy so much!"

Ichigo half closed his eyes. His lips slowly curved into a smile. Seeing the glow in Tatsuki and Chad's faces as they held hands and Karin scolding Isshin made Ichigo realize how much he missed them. It was as if his friends were physically linked to him and without them around, a part of Ichigo would be missing. Ichigo turned to the one person he hadn't greeted yet.

"Still quiet as always, Uryu?" Ichigo said.

Uryu smirked and pushed up his glasses. "I don't have much to say."

"Bullshit," Ichigo said. "There must be _something_ interesting going on. Are you working on any cases now?"

"Actually, I am," Uryu answered. "You know how that serial killer was arrested? Well, I'm the prosecutor."

The serial killer was a man who called himself As Nödt. Before his arrest, Nödt kidnapped children and crucified them. He was infamous for writing "Fear Rules All" with the victim's blood.

"Is there actually someone defending him?" Ichigo inquired. It seemed strange that anyone would want to defend someone so cruel.

"Some people doubt he's the _real_ As Nödt," Uryu explained. "I could be prosecuting against an innocent man but all the evidence does not favor him."

"Good," Ichigo spat. "Someone like him deserves to rot in hell."

Uryu cleared his throat. "So what about you? Anything interesting happen since you've lived here?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot! I need your help."

Uryu sighed. "Of course you do. Who'd you piss off this time?"

Ichigo flushed. "Kuchiki, Byakuya's sister."

Uryu's jaw dropped. Even the calm, stoic Nemu jumped slightly. Uryu groaned and rubbed his face.

"Jesus, Kurosaki. What the hell did you do?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Well…his sister is a bipolar sex addict-"

"A bipolar sex addict?" Uryu interrupted. "Kuchiki, Byakuya's sister is a sex addict?"

Ichigo waved his arms. "Just shut up and listen. Basically, I won her trust and she opened up to me about her coitus."

Nemu placed a hand over Soken's ear while Uryu grimaced. "Please don't tell me the details."

"Shush. Anyways, I asked her if she was always "like that" and she got mad. She accused me of judging her."

Uryu shrugged. "Well, it _does_ sound judgmental."

"Thanks, Sherlock," Ichigo said sarcastically. He reverted back to his somewhat helpless tone. "I tried to make her understand that I wasn't judging her, that I wanted to be her friend. But she ran off."

Uryu was silent. Ichigo suddenly realized that everyone else was staring at him. They had heard the story. Ichigo's face grew warm. Without warning, Isshin grabbed Ichigo's shirt and punched him.

"What the fuck, dad!" Ichigo wiped his bloody nose and pushed Isshin away.

"Bad Ichigo, bad!" Isshin scolded. "I didn't raise my son to be a stupid dog who can't keep his mouth shut!"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Ichigo snapped.

Keigo licked his lips. "Kuchiki, Byakuya's sister is a sex addict? On a scale of Tatsuki to Orihime, how hot is she?" Mizuiro smacked the back of his head. Tatsuki glowered at Keigo fiercely, causing him to shrink back as he rubbed his head. Ichigo wanted to punch Keigo for that, but he needed to hear Uryu's insight.

Uryu tapped his chin. "When did this happen?"

"Yesterday."

Uryu sighed. "I personally think that you should leave Kuchiki alone for now. What you said was very offensive and she doesn't sound like the most forgiving person. Just give her some space and maybe she'll forgive you."

"Maybe," Ichigo repeated.

Uryu shrugged. "Hey, I don't know what goes through her mind. Maybe she'll forgive you. Maybe she'll decided that you hurt her too much."

Ichigo winced. "I hope to god that the latter doesn't happen."

Uryu stared at Ichigo. "You're really serious about becoming her friend, aren't you?"

Ichigo nodded solemnly. "Rukia is alone. She needs someone."

Uryu smiled. "Don't we all?"

There was a moment of silence, which Ichigo found comforting. Of course, this silence had to be broken and of course the person who ruined the moment was Isshin.

Isshin was bawling. "Oh Ichigo, you're so kind! I'm so proud of you!"

Yuzu, whose eyes were filled with tears, nodded vigorously. "Don't give up, Ichi-nii!"

Isshin and Yuzu cried in each other's arms while Karin scowled, clearly annoyed and embarrassed by the waterworks. Ichigo normally felt the same but at the moment, he didn't mind.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo thought he saw Rukia standing in the hallway. But when he looked out of the common room, she was gone.

* * *

><p>Time flies when you're having fun. Oh how true that statement was as Ichigo watched his friends and family leave. An hour had passed but to Ichigo, it felt like minutes.<p>

"We'll see you next Sunday, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu called out, waving at Ichigo.

Ichigo waved back and forced himself to smile. He knew he should be glad that he got to see everyone again, and he was, but Ichigo couldn't help but feel…lonely.

"Bye Ichigo!" Mizuiro said.

"Bye! Say hello to Ayame for me!" Ichigo replied. Ayame was Mizuiro's wife. For some reason, she held Ichigo in low regard. The feeling was mutual, though. In Ichigo's opinion, Ayame was too controlling. It was surprising that Ayame allowed Mizuiro to visit in the first place.

Tatsuki suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as the short-haired woman marched up to him. Chad trailed behind.

"What's wrong-?"

"Ichigo," Tatsuki murmured. "I know you're wondering why Orihime cheated on you."

Ichigo's hand twitched. He felt hollow all of a sudden.

When he didn't respond, Tatsuki said, "Of course you are. That was stupid of me to say." Her gaze lowered. "I want you to know that I have no idea why Orihime was unfaithful. I tried talking to her, but she kept pushing me away." Tatsuki looked back up at him, her eyes filled with determination. "But I will not stop until she confesses."

"I won't, either," Chad said. "All of us won't."

Ichigo stared at Chad and Tatsuki. He looked over them. Uryu, Keigo, Mizuiro, his family, and even Nemu smiled at him.

Ichigo smiled back, for real this time.

Tatsuki playfully punched Ichigo's arm. "See ya next week, Strawberry!"

Ichigo laughed. "Hey, you know I hate being called that!"

Everyone said goodbye one last time before walking into the elevator. Toshiro hugged Momo gently while Rangiku blew kisses at her friends.

As Ichigo stood there, he felt a sudden surge of determination.

He was going to find out what went wrong between him and Orihime.

And he was going to win Rukia's forgiveness.


	6. Wingman

**Good news everyone, this chapter actually has some IchiRuki moments! ^^**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

Wingman

"Push it, push it to the limit, limit, 'cause we're in it to win it, OH YEAH!" Kenpachi tossed his head back as he obnoxiously sang the "OH YEAH" part.

Ichigo panted as he hit the stop button on the treadmill. The belt slowed to a stop. Sweat dripped down Ichigo's back. He pulled off his shirt and began wiping perspiration off his neck and shoulders. Ichigo heard someone inhale sharply. Ichigo turned his head slightly and saw a sex addict staring at him, her face red and tongue sticking out. Feeling uncomfortable, Ichigo quickly put his shirt back on.

Kenpachi clapped his hands before lifting up a 200 pound weight. "WORK WORK IT HARDER GOTTA TAKE IT FARTHER!"

Ichigo watched as Kenpachi held up the weight, his muscular arms shaking. After a few seconds, Kenpachi slowly placed the weight down. Nearby, some guys tossed irritated looks at Kenpachi.

"Hey, Kenpachi," Ichigo said. "I get the feeling that you should sing a little quieter."

Kenpachi laughed as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. "Hey, I can't help that I love singing."

"I know," Ichigo said carefully. "But we're not the only ones here. It would be polite to sing not so loudly."

Kenpachi scratched his head. "I guess you have a point."

Ichigo sat down on the treadmill. "That song you were singing…is it from _High School Musical_?"

"Nope," Kenpachi said. "But it was sung by Corbin Bleu, who's in _High School Musical_." Kenpachi sighed. "God, I love that movie. It really reminds me of my high school."

Ichigo smirked. "Why? Were you in the drama club?"

Kenpachi laughed. "Hell no! It's just the scene where everyone's singing in the cafeteria. I used to start things like that all the time, though I'll admit there was more fighting than singing."

Ichigo chuckled. "I can see that happening."

Kenpachi took a seat next to Ichigo. "What was your high school experience like?"

Ichigo's memories began playing right in front of him like a movie. Sitting on the rooftop with Uryu, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro, meeting Orihime, sparring with Tatsuki, Orihime's teary face as Ichigo comforted her, ranking 23rd in the grade, walking Orihime home, playing beach volleyball with the guys, realizing he loved Orihime…confessing to Orihime…their first date…

High school, although it had its downs, didn't seem so bad now that Ichigo thought about it. Things were so much easier back then.

_And Orihime was loyal_, Ichigo thought bitterly.

Kenpachi got up and stretched his arms, his eyes roaming around the room. He seemed to be searching for something. When his gaze settled on something, he grinned. Ichigo followed his gaze and stifled a sigh when he saw what, or _who_ Kenpachi was staring at.

Unohana. He should've known.

Unohana stared aimlessly around the gym, monitoring the patients. Her head turned to their direction. She smiled politely before looking away. Ichigo realized that Unohana just caught them staring at her. Feeling embarrassed, he turned to Kenpachi, who was still ogling the young nurse.

"Uh, Kenpachi?" Ichigo said.

Kenpachi didn't look at him as he asked, "Hey, Ichigo, how do you know if a girl is into you?"

Ichigo scratched his head. It would be an understatement to say that the orange head was dense when it came to women. It had actually taken him over a year to realize his feelings for Orihime.

"Well…it depends on the girl," Ichigo said lamely. "Some girls are easy, some aren't." His last comment sounded more like a question.

Kenpachi looked down at Ichigo. Damn, the guy was tall. "Unohana would be considered the hard type, right?"

Ichigo shifted his feet. "Er, I'd like to think of her as _professional_."

Kenpachi snorted. "Right, _professional_. You sound just like Toshiro." Kenpachi cleared his throat and raised his voice to mirror Toshiro's. "_It's unprofessional for a nurse like Miss Unohana to fancy a patient. Miss Unohana could lose her job_."

"He has a point," Ichigo said. "Unless you check yourself out of Las Noches, your chances are…small…"

Ichigo's voice trailed off. Kenpachi was giving Ichigo a weird look, like he just thought of something crazy. He probably did.

"Hey," Kenpachi said. "You're friends with Unohana, right?"

_Friends?_ Ichigo glanced at Unohana. Sure, he and Unohana were friendly with each other, but was it right to call her a friend?

"Whatever," Kenpachi said when Ichigo didn't reply. "You get along with each other. That's enough." Kenpachi broke into a huge grin. "Wanna be my wingman?"

Ichigo jumped slightly and stood up. "Your wingman?"

"Yeah," Kenpachi said. "You'll help me win over Unohana."

Ichigo crossed his arms to form a X. "No. Sorry Kenpachi, but I'd be a terrible wingman. Besides, we could get in serious trouble."

Kenpachi grabbed Ichigo's shoulders and shook him. "We're talking about _love_, Ichigo! Who cares about the stupid rules? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be a great wingman."

"Well I don't see why you need _my_ help," Ichigo said. "I'm sure you can get Unohana yourself."

Kenpachi let go of Ichigo and scratched his head. "I thought that too until yesterday…"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Kenpachi looked back at Unohana. "Well…"

_Kenpachi speed walked through the corridor, his black eyes full of determination. He was on a mission. Today was visiting day and since Kenpachi never really got visitors, he was free to wander around while everyone else hung in the common room. And since everyone was in the common room…_

_Kenpachi smirked as he thought about being alone with the raven haired sex goddess, the one and only Retsu Unohana. The thought was enough to make something in his pants stiffen…OK he knew what that 'something' was but that wasn't the point._

_He was going to make Unohana realize that she wanted him as much as he wanted her._

_Kenpachi grinned when he saw the nurse walking through the hallway, a smile on those delicious looking lips. She stopped at the sound of his footsteps and faced him. Although her lips were still smiling, Kenpachi could see that the smile no longer reach her eyes._

_"Mr. Zaraki, where are you going?" Unohana asked. _

_Kenpachi didn't answer Unohana. Instead, he grabbed Unohana's arms and pinned her against the wall. Her blue eyes widened in shock._

_"Let go of me Mr. Zaraki," Unohana ordered. Her authoritative tone excited Kenpachi._

_Kenpachi's grin widened. "You sure know how to raise a cock, Unohana. Did you grow up on a farm?"_

_Unohana cringed and glared at him. "That is extremely inappropriate, Mr. Zaraki. Please let go of me or I will report to Mr. Aizen."_

_Kenpachi laughed. "You always say that. Now, enough talking. Let's go to my room."_

_Unohana attempted to shake free from Kenpachi's grip, but he only held her tighter. _

_"There will only be seven planets left after I destroy Uranus," Kenpachi said. _

_"I can have you arrested for sexual harassment," Unohana threatened. _

_"Then why haven't you done it yet?" Kenpachi released Unohana. "You want me and you know it. By the way, how am I in your dreams?"_

_Kenpachi suddenly heard a cracking sound. His cheek stung. Unohana's hand was raised. It took Kenpachi a moment to realize that he had just been slapped. _

_If it had been someone else, Kenpachi probably would've lost it. But Unohana's slap actually felt _good_._

_"Can you do that again?" Kenpachi asked._

_Unohana's cheeks turned red. Out of embarrassment or anger, Kenpachi couldn't tell. She walked away briskly. _

Ichigo stared at Kenpachi, unsure what to say. What the hell was Kenpachi _thinking_?Did he even think?

"So yeah, I need your help," Kenpachi said.

"I'm sorry Kenpachi, but I can't," Ichigo said slowly. "Unohana's right. She could call the cops on you."

"But she _hasn't_," Kenpachi said. "I've been chasing after her ever since I saw her. She _could_ call the cops but she never has. At least, not on me."

"She could just want to avoid trouble," Ichigo pointed out.

"But if she truly hated my advances, she would have," Kenpachi argued. "Don't you see, Ichigo? She's in denial."

Ichigo sighed. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Kenpachi laughed. "I've never felt this way about a woman before." He gave Ichigo a look that seemed to be a poor copy of puppy dog eyes. "So help me win the woman of my dreams?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. When he didn't respond, Kenpachi clapped his hands together like he was praying and whimpered. That's right, _whimpered._

Ichigo groaned. "If I help you, can you promise to do exactly what I say?"

Kenpachi nodded. "I'll do anything you ask me to do."

"Even if I say to not use crude pick-up lines?"

"As much as I love them, yes," Kenpachi said. "I'll refrain from using them."

Ichigo sighed. "Fine."

"YAY!" Kenpachi hugged Ichigo and spun him around in the air. His hug was even more painful than Isshin's. Ichigo gagged.

Kenpachi placed Ichigo on the floor. "Bro, I owe you one!"

"Hell yeah you do!" Ichigo snapped.

Kenpachi laughed. His face suddenly became more serious. "So what should I do first?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Er…"

He looked around the room. Ichigo's gaze landed on a weight near Unohana.

"Go lift that weight," Ichigo said, pointing to it. "Pretend you don't notice Unohana."

"I like your thought process," Kenpachi said. He marched to the other side of the room.

As Ichigo watched Kenpachi, a familiar voice said, "Are you seriously helping him?"

Ichigo whirled around. Brown eyes met with violet eyes. "R-Rukia!"

Rukia Kuchiki crossed her arms as she stared at Ichigo. Her black hair was tied back into a stiff ponytail. She was wearing a black tank top and gray yoga pants. Although Rukia was a petite person, she had curves. _Really nice curves_, Ichigo couldn't help but think. True, her breasts were nowhere near as large as Orihime's, but they were…pert.

"I didn't know you exercised at this time," Ichigo stammered.

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe because I always sit at the other side of the room, all the way in the corner, violently masturbating."

Ichigo scratched his head, suddenly feeling very awkward. "Right."

"Anyways, I walked by and heard what you were saying," Rukia said. "You could get in a lot of trouble, you know."

Ichigo's shoulders slumped. "I know. But Kenpachi wants nothing more than to be with Unohana."

"How thoughtful of you," Rukia said sarcastically. "Has it occurred to you that Miss Unohana could lose her job?"

"I know the negative consequences," Ichigo replied. "And I'm sure Kenpachi is aware of them too. But when it comes to love-"

"You have to take risks, yeah yeah," Rukia sneered. "Do you know how many hearts get broken as a result?"

Ichigo stared at Rukia. Something had flickered her eyes when she said that. It was so quick, though. Ichigo wondered if he was seeing things. Why was Rukia so upset anyway? Last time he checked, Rukia wanted to have nothing to do with him.

Then Ichigo remembered that Rukia's husband was murdered. Did that have something to do with her reaction?

"You have to take risks," Ichigo murmured. "It's an inevitable part of life."

Rukia snorted. "Jesus Christ, how cheesy can you get?"

Ichigo leaned forward and smirked. "Bitch all you want, I'm just going to reject every single negative opinion you have of me."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that." She turned around and walked away.

Ichigo watched Rukia walk away, the smirk still on his face.

Because right before her face had turned completely away from his, Ichigo saw her lips twitch upward.

* * *

><p>"And right after graduation, Orihime brought up the possibility of marriage," Ichigo mumbled.<p>

Urahara leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

"I wanted to marry her at that time," Ichigo admitted. "But I wasn't ready to settle down. I suggested we wait until after college and she agreed to it."

Urahara bent down and pulled a manilla folder from beneath the chair. He opened it and scanned a piece of paper.

"It says that you married when you were 25," Urahara said. "You two sure waited a while."

"I was in love with her," Ichigo said without hesitation. "I wanted to make sure we were both ready."

Urahara looked up at Ichigo, his eyebrow raised. "'Was?' Are you no longer in love?"

Ichigo's jaw went slack. The truth was, Ichigo wasn't sure how he felt about Orihime. He didn't hate her, Ichigo knew that. Even though Orihime had shattered his heart, Ichigo could never truly hate anyone he used to care about so much.

But was he still in love? Why was he even questioning himself? Ichigo had truly been in love, so he would know the answer.

Right?

Urahara sighed. "You don't know."

Ichigo shook his head. "I need to think about it."

Urahara lifted his fan up to his face. "You don't sound like a man in love to me."

A muscle in Ichigo's eye twitched, but he said nothing. He didn't trust himself. No, it would be more accurate to say that Ichigo just didn't know how to respond.

Urahara's eye widened. He placed the fan down. His mouth hung open, but quickly turned into a smile. "It's working."

Ichigo cocked his head. "What?"

"The Lithium is working!" Urahara clapped his hands. "Urahara Kisuke, you've done it again!"

"What do you mean the Lithium is working?" Ichigo knit his eyebrows.

Urahara covered his face again with the fan. "What I said before was a little…experiment. If the Lithium wasn't working, you would've lashed out when I accused you of not loving Miss Inoue. But you reacted calmly."

"I beg to differ," Ichigo said. "I reacted calmly because I can control myself. While I acknowledge that I'm hot-headed, I'm _not_ bipolar."

Urahara groaned. "Not this again."

"That day," Ichigo said. "I was just consumed with rage. Orihime fucking cheated on me right in front of my eyes. Who wouldn't react that way? Besides, that was the only time I became that angry."

As the words flew out of Ichigo's mouth, he realized that the last sentence wasn't true. He _had_ felt that angry before. Ichigo could still remember the rage and pain he felt on that rainy day. The memory was so clear, that Ichigo could _feel_ the helplessness reaching his heart and clouding his mind…

"You're hiding something." Urahara's voice broke Ichigo's train of thought.

Ichigo shook his head vigorously. "What do you mean I'm hiding something? You're my therapist, of course I'm telling you everything."

"Sure," Urahara said. He stood up and walked over to Ichigo. He leaned forward so that his face was inches away from Ichigo. Ichigo shrank deeper into the chair. "Tell me, Ichigo. Describe the burning rage you felt when you caught Miss Inoue and Mr. Jaegerjaquez. That fire you felt, that's not healthy. I thought you already accepted that."

Ichigo met Urahara's solemn gaze. "I did. But now, I'm not so sure." Ichigo shoved Urahara away. "I just don't know. How I feel, what I think…this place is really getting to me."

"Getting to you?" Urahara's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were adjusting well."

"Of course you'd think that," Ichigo said dryly. He stood up. To Ichigo's surprise, Urahara was taller than him. "Because Las Noches is so damn comfortable."

"I don't see a problem with that."

Ichigo's lip curled. "Kenpachi's been here for three years. And you know what? He doesn't care. I probably wouldn't either if I weren't so determined to leave."

"Good for you," Urahara said. "That would make curing you much easier."

"But is that really what you want?" A myriad of emotions flooded through Ichigo. Anger, sadness, confusion, and emotions Ichigo couldn't put his finger on. "From what I can tell, our meetings have been leading to nowhere. And the longer a person stays, the more money this place earns."

"You think we want all the patients to live here for the rest of their lives," Urahara said. His tone betrayed no emotion. "Do you know how many patients are cured each year by us?"

"Do you know how long some patients have been here?" Ichigo clenched his teeth. "Rangiku's been here for two years. Rukia, for three. I heard that Chizuru-"

"Miss Kuchiki?" Urahara interrupted. "You seem to care about her a lot. But considering her ailment…are you two closer than I originally thought?"

Something inside Ichigo snapped. He lunged at Urahara, the rage building up in him. As if anticipating this, Urahara leaned back so that Ichigo carried all the weight. Ichigo crashed into Urahara's chair, knocking it down.

Urahara scribbled something onto his notepad as Ichigo shakily got up. He ripped the paper off and handed it to Ichigo.

"It appears that the Lithium doesn't work after all," Urahara said. "Take .25 milligrams of Xanax."

Ichigo swiped the note form Urahara and shoved it into his pocket. "_It appears that the Lithium doesn't work after all_," Ichigo mimicked. "What was it supposed to do, suppress all of my emotions?"

"It's supposed to help you _control_ your emotions," Urahara corrected. "There's a difference."

The door swung open. Unohana stared at Ichigo and Urahara worriedly.

"I heard a crash, is everything all right?" Unohana's voice trembled slightly. Her eyes focused on Ichigo. "Mr. Kurosaki!" She rushed over to him and placed her hand on Ichigo's cheek. Ichigo winced at the sudden touch, but closed his eyes. Unohana's touch was soft, almost motherly. Despite all the emotions he felt earlier, Ichigo relaxed.

"Why is there a bruise on your face?" Unohana asked. "Dr. Urahara, what happened?"

"Performing an experiment!" Urahara's cheery tone caused Ichigo to open his eyes and stare at him. "I was confirming the effects of Mr. Kurosaki's medication. As I suspected, Lithium doesn't work." Urahara made a peace sign with both hands. "The experiment was a success!"

Ichigo's jaw dropped. No. Fucking. Way. Unohana's reaction surprised Ichigo even more.

"Oh I see!" Unohana said in an amused tone. She moved her hand from Ichigo's cheek to his shoulder. "Let's go, Mr. Kurosaki. Your session with Dr. Urahara is over."

As Unohana guided Ichigo out of the room, he looked back. Urahara smirked and waved. Ichigo bit his lip. The sharp, metallic taste of blood hit him.

Unohana removed her hand from Ichigo. He felt a sudden rush of cold in his shoulder.

"I know you view Dr. Urahara in a bad light," Unohana said as they walked through the hallway. "Many of his clients do. But please try to understand that this is just Dr. Urahara's way of helping the patient."

"Provoking us is supposed to help?"

"It helps him see how serious the conditions are," Unohana said. "And what medication he should prescribe."

Ichigo dug his hands into his pockets. "He says more inappropriate things than appropriate things."

Unohana laughed. "A lot of people here do that." The smile disappeared from her face. Unohana inhaled sharply, like she just received a negative thought.

That made Ichigo remember something. As casually as possible, Ichigo said, "So Unohana, what do you think of Kenpachi?"

Unohana flinched. "He's a patient." Ichigo could tell that Unohana was trying to remain calm.

"He's like Urahara," Ichigo said. "Saying more inappropriate things than appropriate. But he really is a nice guy. He helped me settle down here."

"Mr. Zaraki's not a bad man," Unohana agreed. She pressed the up button of the elevator. The doors slid open. There were already two people in there. One was Hanataro, the other…Ichigo nearly got a heart attack when realization dawned on him.

"You've got to be shitting me!" Rukia exclaimed. "Why do I see you everywhere I go? Are you stalking me?"

"Why would I want to stalk _you_?" Ichigo shot back. He and Unohana entered the elevator. The doors closed and the elevator began moving up.

Unohana and Hanataro began conversing with each other almost immediately. Ichigo and Rukia, meanwhile, stood next to each other silently.

"You know, I don't feel as much tension between us as before," Ichigo said. "Are you no longer mad at me?"

Rukia snorted. "Nice try, Ichigo. But I can hold a grudge."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You're too stubborn for your own good."

"I reject that."

The corner of Rukia's mouth twitched. She was trying not to laugh.

The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor and the doors opened. The four adults stepped out. Ichigo and Unohana turned left while Hanataro and Rukia turned right.

"See ya during closure!" Ichigo called out.

"I'll just bring my invisibility cloak!" Rukia called back.

Ichigo smirked as he and Unohana made their way to his room.

As they walked, Ichigo couldn't help but look back.

* * *

><p><strong>So I've gotten a few messages on how my "what doesn't kill you better run like a black man" line is racist. I just want to clarify that I do not at all actually think that. I just wrote it because Rukia was angry and when people are angry, they can say things that seem offensive. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.<strong>


	7. Underneath the Beauty

**SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE I'VE BEEN SUPER BUSY WITH SCHOOL AND SPORTS. I HOPE THIS CHAPTER WAS WORTH THE WAIT!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

Underneath the Beauty

Ichigo couldn't have been more happy that the week was coming to an end. A lot could happen in seven days. Kenpachi had made many desperate attempts to woo Unohana, but to no avail. Naturally, Kenpachi blamed Ichigo.

"You suck at being a wingman," Kenpachi said.

"I know," Ichigo replied a matter-of-factly.

Toshiro and Ichigo had gotten into countless debates over literature.

"That is _not_ what Shakespeare was trying to convey!" Toshiro insisted, his arms spreading apart.

"Did you even _read_ "Romeo and Juliet?!" Of course he's trying to say that money causes chaos!"

Ichigo and Rangiku had bonded with each other over pool.

"Rematch!" Ichigo said as Rangiku effortlessly struck the 8 ball into the pocket.

Rangiku giggled. "Are you a masochist, Ichigo? Cause you seem to enjoy getting your ass whooped!"

His sessions with Urahara seemed more aggravating than usual.

"Did you often find yourself having angry sex with Miss Inoue?" Urahara asked.

"THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE AT ALL!" Ichigo shouted. "AND NO, I DIDN'T!"

Rukia still kept a certain distance from Ichigo, but Ichigo could see that he was slowly winning over her trust.

"You're stalking me, aren't you?" Rukia said, crossing her arms. It was gym time and Ichigo had opted to use the ellipticals instead of the treadmill. It just so happened that Rukia's favorite machine were the ellipticals.

Ichigo smirked. "You act as if that's a bad thing."

Rukia rolled her eyes, but she too smiled, amusement dancing in her violet eyes.

Ichigo's eyelids were heavy. He wanted to sleep and forget about the world, but the sun was still out and there wasn't a single sliver of darkness in the sky. Today was also visiting day, so Ichigo needed to stay awake in order to see his friends. Unfortunately, only Keigo was able to come since everyone else had to work. Ichigo loved Keigo, he really did. But the brown haired pervert could really get on his nerve sometimes.

"…So I was at the bar on Thursday night and sitting next to me was this girl with HUGE tits!" Keigo curved his arms upward over his chest. "I swear to god, they were the size of Mt. Fuji. I couldn't stop staring! Of course, the chick eventually noticed and instead of slapping me she grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the bathroom."

Ichigo clapped his hands over his ears. "I don't want to hear the details."

Keigo pulled Ichigo's arms away. "Listen! Because just as we were going to the girls' bathroom, _Midori_ stepped out."

"You're shitting me," Ichigo said. "Midori doesn't drink."

"I shit you not! Midori was there!" Keigo beamed. His brown eyes glowed. "Midori saw us and ran away. I chased after her and after some slapping and insults, we made out and now we're back together!"

Ichigo slapped his forehead and groaned. Keigo never seemed to learn from his mistakes. "Keigo, why? Just, why? You and Midori need to stop."

"But Ichigo, I'm in love!" Keigo protested.

Before Ichigo was about to lecture Keigo, a deep voice behind him said, "Yo."

Ichigo turned around and before his eyes could find the face of the person, he heard a loud bang and felt something hot, like fire, shoot through his abdomen. Ichigo's mouth opened, but no sound escaped. He collapsed, banging his head on the cold floor. Stars twirled around in his vision. Many people around him screamed.

"Ichigo-" Keigo bent down.

"Stay away from him!" Ichigo sensed Keigo slowly backing away.

Ichigo clutched his abdomen, his hand becoming wet with blood, and grit his teeth. Fuck, it hurt. His torso felt as if a burning hand had reached into him and began twisting his innards. Ichigo's vision blurred.

Before he lost his vision, Ichigo looked up at his attacker. His eyes widened when he recognized the chiseled face and bright blue hair and eyes.

"Pay back, bitch," Grimmjow growled. He pointed a shiny black gun at Ichigo's face. "Adios," He said and pressed the trigger.

* * *

><p>Ichigo's eyes snapped open. His breaths came out quick and ragged. Sharp pants escaped from his lips. Sweat rolled down his forehead and onto the pillow.<p>

_It was a dream_. _It was just a dream._ Ichigo told himself that multiple times. His breathing became more even, but his body was still shaking.

The dream had seemed so real, even the area Grimmjow shot felt cold. Ichigo placed his hand on his abdomen and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt no blood.

Ichigo glanced over at the digital clock. It was 3:16 AM…and Friday. More relief washed over Ichigo. It should've been enough to calm down Ichigo, but his body refused to stay still. Strangely, his body was swaying side to side like a boat on choppy water.

That's when it hit Ichigo. It wasn't just his body that was moving, but the entire bed as well. His bed creaked after each sway.

"I'll never let you go, Jack…" Toshiro mumbled in his sleep.

Ichigo threw his blanket off and scrambled out of the bed. He stumbled as soon as his feet hit the floor.

_The whole room was shaking._

"Shit!" Ichigo wobbled over to Toshiro and pulled his blanket off. Toshiro instinctively curled up.

Ichigo placed his hand on Toshiro's shoulder and shook him. "Toshiro, wake up!"

Toshiro groaned and slapped Ichigo's hand. "Stop it, Jack."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo grabbed the collar of Toshiro's shirt. He yanked Toshiro's body up, causing Toshiro's turquoise eyes to snap open. His jaw went slack.

"What the-?"

"No time for questions!" Ichigo said. "I think we're in the middle of an earthquake!"

"An earth-" Toshiro's voice was cut off as Ichigo grabbed his arm. The two men half ran half stumbled to the door. Ichigo flung the door open.

There was chaos everywhere. Patients shoved and screamed at each other as they tried to enter the elevator. Some were smart enough to head for the stairs, but the swaying of the building caused them to crash into the walls, into other people. All of the nurses were trying to placate the mob, but their efforts were in vain.

At that very moment, Unohana's voice echoed from the loudspeaker, "ATTENTION EVERYONE! PLEASE CALM DOWN AND STAY IN YOUR ROOMS! DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON TO SOMETHING UNTIL THE EARTHQUAKE ENDS!"

A tall nurse with short lavender hair placed her hand on a hysterical man's shoulder. "Sir, please calm down and-"

The man grabbed the woman's arm and threw her against the wall. The woman's body slumped to the floor and remained motionless.

Ichigo's lip curled. Letting go of Toshiro, who was calling out for Kenpachi and Rangiku, he marched over to the man. The man's beady eyes met Ichigo's angry ones. He must've sensed a confrontation, because he began walking over to him with a fist raised. Ichigo made a fist.

Las Noches swayed to the right. The swing was more powerful than the previous ones, causing Ichigo, the man, and many others to fall into the wall. Well, technically Ichigo didn't fall into the _wall_.

"FUCKER!" Rukia Kuchiki shouted as Ichigo's body crashed into her much smaller one. Startled by the sound of her voice, Ichigo jerked back and landed on his butt.

"R-Rukia!" Ichigo stammered. "What are you doing here?"

Rukia got up and dusted her purple t-shirt. She shot an irritated look at him. "Unlike the morons congregating around the elevator, I know that it's much safer to take the stairs." She groaned. "Out of all the people who had to slam into me, of course it had to be your fat ass."

Ichigo shot up. The building swayed and Ichigo almost lost his balance. "Wow Rukia, you sure know how to lower someone's self-esteem," he replied dryly. "Where'd you acquire a skill like that? Law school?"

Hand against the wall, Rukia began carefully walking over to the stairs. Ichigo copied her.

"Hahaha you're soo funny!" Rukia shot back. "Who taught you such awesome comebacks? Your mom?"

Ichigo faltered and felt his entire body grow cold. He stared at Rukia with his jaw slack, unsure what to say. Rukia glanced back and raised an eyebrow. Maybe Ichigo was imagining it, but after a moment, Rukia's once hard gaze grew softer.

"Let's just keep going," Rukia murmured.

"ICHIGO!" Ichigo whirled around and saw Kenpachi racing towards them. Toshiro was lying limply on the muscular man's back, while Rangiku trailed behind.

"What happened to Toshiro?!" Ichigo sputtered. Drool was trickling out of the corner of Toshiro's mouth.

"Some fat ass fell on him," Kenpachi said, shrugging. "He's knocked out cold."

"Shit." Ichigo walked carefully behind Kenpachi and raised his hand to check for any wounds on Toshiro's body.

The building swayed again and Ichigo lost his balance. Rangiku grabbed his shoulder and helped Ichigo regain his balance.

"WE HAVE TO GET OUT NOW!" Rukia shouted. The four of them pushed through the crowd. Kenpachi ran ahead and kicked the door to the stairway open. It slammed against the wall, ricocheted back, and closed.

"DAMMIT KENPACHI!" Rangiku pushed the door open and gestured at the stairs. Kenpachi jumped over each flight, with Toshiro's legs flying around in all directions. Ichigo, Rukia, and Rangiku ran down two at a time. When they reached the 10th floor, a door connecting the stairway and the 10th floor hall opened and a mass of patients stormed out.

"OOF!" Ichigo whirled around and saw a man knock Rukia into the wall. He winced as Rukia's head snapped back.

"RUKIA!" Ichigo shoved his way back up the stairs and looped Rukia's arm around his shoulder. Damn, she was short. Ichigo had to bend down. He carefully, but quickly, made his way down the stairs.

Rukia's eyes opened halfway. She groggily looked up at Ichigo. "Hey, you're a doctor, right?" Rukia slurred. "I think I'm concussed."

"I think I better get you out of here first."

* * *

><p>To Ichigo's surprise, the earthquake hadn't caused much destruction. All of the buildings were intact, and even though they were still swaying, none of them were toppling over each other. No one was outside either, except for him, Rukia, Rangiku, Kenpachi and Toshiro. All the other patients who had fled from Las Noches probably went back inside.<p>

"What's your name? Where are you?" Ichigo asked as he examined Rukia's face.

Rukia stared at him, her blinks slow and heavy. "Kuchiki, Rukia. We're sitting outside of Las Noches."

"Do you know what year it is?"

"2014."

"OK, you don't have a concussion," Ichigo said, relieved.

Rukia yawned. She gazed at Ichigo in a languid manner before slowly shutting her eyes. Before Ichigo could ask if she was asleep, Rukia's body fell forward onto his lap. Ichigo sat still for a moment, unsure of what to do, before awkwardly placing his hand on Rukia's head. Her black hair was silky and faintly smelled of lavender.

"I've never seen her look so peaceful." Ichigo looked up at Rangiku, who was gazing at Rukia with a smile. Ichigo smiled. It was nice to see Rangiku look at Rukia with kindness instead of caution.

Ichigo glanced around the empty, dimly lit streets. Kenpachi was waving a hand in front of Toshiro's dazed face. "It's weird. We were in the middle of an earthquake, yet everything is so calm."

Rangiku laughed. "It's cause this earthquake wasn't very severe. Probably a 4 or 5 on the Richter scale."

"N-Not severe?!" Ichigo blurted. "Then why was everyone freaking out?!"

"It's always been like this," Rangiku explained. "Many people at Las Noches overreact in situations like this." She sighed. "Honestly, it's probably safer to run out during an earthquake than to stay in that living nightmare."

Ichigo looked up at the light purple sky. There were streaks of pink and yellow light poking out from the clouds. As a gentle breeze rolled by, Ichigo suddenly realized that for the first time in almost three weeks, he was outside.

_I'm outside. I'm free._ The thought caused Ichigo to laugh out loud. Rangiku laughed with him, though it was clear she had no idea why Ichigo was so happy.

Overwhelmed by glee, Ichigo gently moved Rukia's warm, light body off of him and placed her head on the road. He got up and did something Ichigo thought he never would have done.

"I too am not a bit tamed!" Ichigo shouted into the void, his arms spread apart as if about to embrace the city lights. "I too am untranslatable. I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the WORRLLDD!"

Rangiku laughed and tossed her head back, strawberry curls bouncing. She let out a long howl. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see Toshiro laughing while Kenpachi howled with Rangiku.

A brown object, probably a flower pot, flew from an apartment complex and shattered on the pavement.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" A raspy voice yelled. Ichigo, Rangiku, Kenpachi, and Toshiro laughed harder.

"You're a weird guy, you know that?" Ichigo looked down. Rukia was awake and staring up at Ichigo.

Ichigo laughed. "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>"Take care Ichi-nii!" Yuzu called and walked into the elevator. Ichigo smiled and waved goodbye. It was a relief that the earthquake didn't affect anyone. Even Bad-Luck-Keigo was alright.<p>

_And Grimmjow wasn't here either_. Ichigo thought. Recalling that nightmare still sent shivers down Ichigo's spine.

Stretching his arms, Ichigo walked out of the common room. The monster in his stomach growled, demanding to be fed. Thank god it was dinner time.

As Ichigo walked to the cafeteria, he saw from far away, a couch and window at the end of the hall. Nothing new about that, but Ichigo stopped when he saw a person he knew sitting on the couch.

Ichigo jogged to the couch. "Hey, Rangiku!"

Rangiku was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. She was leaning her cheek against her elbow and staring contemplatively out the window. Rangiku glanced at Ichigo. She was wearing no makeup and wore a plain mint tee, white pants, and baby pink converse. Her attire was so simple, but her beauty was still a league above most women.

"Hey, Ichigo," Rangiku said with a slight smile. Ichigo could tell that the smile was to be polite. Rangiku sounded…tired.

Ichigo sat down next to her and leaned into the couch. Why were all the couches here so damn comfy?

"It's time for dinner," Ichigo said.

"I know," Rangiku replied curtly. "I'm not…hungry."

Ichigo knit his eyebrows. There was something…off about Rangiku. He wasn't used to seeing the ex-model look and act so nonchalant.

"I didn't see your friends today," Ichigo said carefully. "Did something happen to them?"

Rangiku shrugged. "I'm sure they're fine. They just don't visit that often anymore."

"Oh." Ichigo looked away and twiddled his fingers. The two of them didn't speak for what felt like hours.

"Ichigo," Rangiku said suddenly. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a bird?"

Ichigo blinked. "A bird?" He scratched his head. "I think every kid has dreamed of flying."

"I don't mean just that," Rangiku said. She was still gazing out the window. "I wonder…what it's like to just not be human."

Ichigo tapped his chin. "Life would probably be easier," He mused.

"It probably would," Rangiku agreed. She paused. "The biggest difference between humans and animals is our ability to feel emotion. Animals can feel things, but usually not to the same extent as humans. Some animals forget their own kids." She closed her eyes. "Us humans…no matter how much we want to forget, sometimes we just can't. That's why we resort to alcohol."

"Rangiku…" Ichigo began.

"But one glass has no effect," Rangiku continued. "Even one bottle isn't always enough. So you drink more and more until little by little, the pain is dulled. But it never completely fades away."

Shining crystals streamed from Rangiku's eyes. It took Ichigo a moment to realize that they were tears. Rangiku, the woman often seen with a grin, was crying.

"You keep believing that drinking more will get rid of the pain all together," Rangiku whispered. "In the end, you drink so much that you black out and can't remember anything. But the pain always comes back and you continue to drink. You begin to rely on the alcohol to the point where it starts to control your life."

Rangiku opened her eyes. The sclera of her eyes were tinged with red. "The truth is, Ichigo, the reason why I'm still here is not because of my alcoholism. I grew out of that a while ago. I can't check myself out because the pain is still there. It's like an invisible hand is digging a knife into my chest and twisting it."

"What…happened?" Ichigo felt guilty for asking, but he couldn't stop himself and something told him that Rangiku was going to anyway.

Rangiku gazed back out the window, leaning her shoulder against the couch. "My life used to be perfect. I had lots of friends and was engaged to a man I loved." Rangiku's voice cracked when she said the last word. "Rain took that all away."

Somewhere in his head, Ichigo thought he heard the sound of rain drops splashing over the concrete sidewalk and the screams of a woman.

"It was the night before my wedding," Rangiku murmured. "My fiancee, Gin, was driving me home. We were joking and singing along to the radio." Rangiku's lips twitched upward slightly. "I still remember which song…'Eleanor Rigby.'"

The tiny smile disappeared immediately. "All of a sudden, we saw this flash of light and heard honking and tires screeching. I woke up the next morning in the hospital and Gin…" Rangiku choked. Her eyes filled with tears. "Gin didn't make it."

"Rangiku…" Ichigo pulled her close, her head resting against the crook of his neck. A rush of cold shot down his spine when her tears slid down his neck. "I'm sorry…"

Rangiku swallowed. "There's never been a day where I don't ask myself, why? Why did I survive and Gin didn't? No one has been able to tell me." She looked up at Ichigo. Her blue eyes seemed to be pleading for an answer.

Ichigo scratched his head as he decided on a response. "Life…is not fair," He said slowly. "When everything seems perfect, She has a way of ruining it." Ichigo paused. "But She doesn't have the power to destroy hope. The only ones with the power to do that, are the people themselves."

Feeling much more confident, Ichigo said, "I'm an atheist, but what if there is a place called Heaven? What if Gin is living there right now, and watching you? I bet he's thinking, 'Rangiku, don't give up! There's always hope in the future!'" Rangiku sobbed.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "I understand that your bond with Gin was strong. It's unbreakable. Nothing will be able to negate what happened in the past. I know I'm being redundant, but it's true. There is hope in the future. Always. You were given another chance to live, a chance to prove that nothing can stop you. Do you understand, what that means? If you throw that chance away, you're only giving Life the satisfaction is lusts for. Don't let that happen, fight back! If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for Gin!"

A shadow flitted over Rangiku's face, so Ichigo couldn't see her expression. It suddenly got so quiet, a pin could drop and Ichigo would be able to hear it. The quiet discomforted Ichigo.

All of a sudden, Rangiku stood up and began walking away.

"W-Where are you going?" Ichigo asked as he got up.

Rangiku halted. Without turning around, she said, "It's dinner now, isn't it? We should go." But she didn't move.

Ichigo hesitated. "Just out of curiosity, but…why did you tell me everything just now?"

For a long moment, Rangiku didn't reply. Ichigo wondered if it was wrong for him to ask. He opened his mouth to apologize.

Rangiku glanced back and…smiled. "Because, Ichigo…the moment I met you, I felt as if I could trust you with my life."

Ichigo's jaw dropped and Rangiku laughed. Her laugh was a clear, melodic sound.

"Let's go!" Rangiku took Ichigo's hand and dragged him down the hallway. As they ran, Ichigo couldn't help but think of the famous saying, "There's more than meets the eye."

That saying couldn't have felt more true than it did now.

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise surprise! Rangiku's past is related to Gin.<strong>

**I know some of you are wondering where this story is going. Don't worry, the next chapter will move the plot along!**


	8. Deal or No Deal

**Hope you guys are having an awesome spring break! Mine has been fairly productive. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

Deal or No Deal

"So what do you think, Jiro or Zero?" Toshiro lifted his iPhone up to Ichigo's face. On the screen was a picture of Toshiro's wife, Momo. Momo was frowning, and her arm was positioned in such a way that Ichigo knew she was taking a selfie. God, Ichigo hated that word. How "selfie" managed to get into the dictionary, Ichigo will never know.

Written below the picture was the caption, "Still don't know what to name the baby. Can't decide between Jiro and Zero… #help."

"Thirty likes in ten minutes…your wife is pretty popular," Ichigo said.

"Not the point, Ichigo," Toshiro said. "Our baby is coming in a couple of months. We need to decide on a name."

"You know it's going to be a boy?"

"No." Toshiro tucked his phone into his pocket. "But we already decided to name it "Kyoko" if it's a girl. We don't know what to name it if it's a boy."

Ichigo stuck his hands into his pockets as the two walked into the cafeteria. They picked up a tray and waited on line. Unohana smiled as she placed waffles onto Ichigo's plate.

"Thanks," Ichigo said. He glanced at Toshiro. "I think Zero is a cool name."

"I guess," Toshiro replied. They walked over to their table. Kenpachi and Rangiku were there already. When Rangiku saw them, she grinned and waved.

"Morning!" Rangiku said as they placed their trays on the table and sat down.

"Good morning," Ichigo said, smiling. Rangiku smiled gently in return, and Ichigo couldn't help but recall the devastated Rangiku crying on his shoulder.

_"The moment I met you, I felt as if I could trust you with my life." _Rangiku's words still rang clearly in Ichigo's head. What was Rangiku talking about? Everyone in high school had found Ichigo scary. Hell, even now some of Ichigo's adult clients were intimidated by him. If Ichigo hadn't been a good doctor, they would've all left to find a new one.

"Hey, Ichigo," Kenpachi grumbled.

Ichigo blinked. Kenpachi was glaring at him. "Yeah?"

Kenpachi leaned against his elbow. "Is there something going on between you and Unohana?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. "_What_? No!" Ichigo shook his head so hard, his brain felt as if it were bouncing all over his head. "Why the fuck would you think that?"

"You're always smiling at each other," Kenpachi growled.

"Th-That doesn't mean shit!" Ichigo sputtered. "We're friends and Unohana is a naturally polite person!"

"Oh!" Kenpachi gave Ichigo a toothy grin. His sudden change in expression reminded Ichigo of a cartoon character; how a new emotion would just pop out of nowhere on their face.

"Thank Jesus you two are just friends!" Kenpachi said, digging into his breakfast. "I'd probably have to kill you if you stole Unohana from me! HAHA I kid, I kid!"

Ichigo laughed uncomfortably. "Right." He stopped laughing when he noticed a certain person walking to her table.

Ichigo beamed and waved. "Hey, Rukia!"

Rukia stopped in her tracks and glared at Ichigo. She let go of her tray with one hand and stuck up her middle finger before walking away.

Rangiku began laughing hysterically. "I think I know who Ichigo has a thing for!"

Ichigo flushed. "What?! I don't have a thing for Rukia!"

"Wow Ichigo, you're a hit with the ladies!" Kenpachi laughed. His face became serious. "How do I know you're still capable of being my wingman?"

"Rukia's different!" Ichigo protested. "I'm just trying to be her friend!"

"But why?" Toshiro had been so quiet, Ichigo forgot he was there. "Kuchiki made it clear that she's not interested. Why keep trying?"

Ichigo frowned and glanced at Rukia. She was eating her waffles slowly and staring out the window. Her violet eyes were distant, as if she were stuck in her own thoughts and didn't care about the world around her.

"She's lonely," was all Ichigo could say.

"It's not your job to help her," Toshiro pointed out.

"Urahara told me that," Ichigo said. "Ultimately, it's up to Rukia to save herself, but I want to at least help."

"But why her specifically?" Rangiku asked. "There are many others like Rukia in this building, why choose her?"

_Because I can relate to her. I feel connected to her. _"I don't know," Ichigo answered.

Rangiku knit her eyebrows. Ichigo knew that Rangiku didn't believe him, but something in his heart prevented Ichigo from telling the truth.

* * *

><p>Ichigo stretched his arms over his head as he walked through the hallway. He didn't really feel like swimming or playing pool, but there were so many activities to choose from that Ichigo decided to just walk around until he found something interesting.<p>

Las Noches was a fucking labyrinth. There were so many twists and turns, Ichigo was starting to grow dizzy. A part of Ichigo was sincerely concerned that he would get lost and no one would be able to find him. Ichigo had been walking for what, ten minutes? And there was no one in sight.

As Ichigo turned again, he suddenly heard a very distant, set of high pitched sounds. Each pitch was different, each pitch was weaving a song. Ichigo didn't know what instrument was being played, but it sounded a lot like traditional Japanese music.

Ichigo was not a fan of traditional Japanese music. It wasn't because he didn't like the sound of it. The slow pieces actually resonated within Ichigo and put his mind to peace. But when Ichigo was a child, Isshin would blast traditional Japanese music on Japanese holidays. By the time he was eleven, Ichigo had lost track of the number of times someone complained to the police. Instead of being more considerate, Isshin would just turn up the volume each time.

"If the music's too loud, then you're too old!" Isshin used to always say. The only reason why Isshin eventually stopped was because the police threatened to confiscate his precious radio.

Had Ichigo not been bored, he probably would've walked away from the music. But since he was, Ichigo walked to the source of the sound and found himself standing in front of a large white door. On the door was a sign that read "Dance Studio."

"Huh," Ichigo said and opened the door.

He nearly shat himself.

Because standing in the middle of the studio was Rukia Kuchiki.

Rukia was wearing a simple white kimono that fit perfectly on her petite body. She slowly raised one arm while the other crossed over to the opposite hip. She twirled gracefully, her eyes closed as if asleep.

Suddenly, the music, and Rukia stopped. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, as it was clear that Rukia was unaware of his presence, but couldn't because the music returned. And the tempo was much quicker than before.

Rukia dashed across the studio, her arms spread out like a butterfly's wings, and jumped and spun in the air. As soon as she landed, Rukia waved her arms around her and spun again.

The music grew louder and louder, faster and faster, and Rukia spun over and over again. Ichigo was actually becoming slightly dizzy.

Among the strings instruments, Ichigo could hear a drum. Each note the drum played had much more emphasis each time and Ichigo knew that the song was coming to an end.

All of a sudden, the sounds softened and Rukia lay on her side, her arm stretched out. From behind, she looked like she was dead.

"Kuchiki, Rukia, you are an enigma!" Ichigo said, clapping his hands.

"What the-" Rukia jumped up and whirled around. Her violet eyes became the size of large golfballs.

Ichigo walked over to her. "I didn't know you danced."

Rukia stiffened and balled her fists against her side. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"I just heard some music and thought I'd check it out," Ichigo responded without skipping a beat. "Is there a problem with that?"

Rukia sniffed. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," Ichigo said. He paused. "You really are good, though."

"Thanks," Rukia said. She walked over to the stereo and picked her iPhone up.

Ichigo stuck his hands in his pocket and walked over to her. "How long have you been dancing?"

"Only for a few months," Rukia admitted. "Byakuya's wife used to dance a lot, so I decided to give it a try."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Byakuya's wife?"

He couldn't see Rukia's face, but Ichigo could tell she was reluctant to answer.

"Her name was Hisana," Rukia said. "We were really close, almost like sisters. She taught me some basic dance moves."

A part of Ichigo wanted to ask Rukia what happened to Hisana, but he knew he shouldn't. So, he asked, "Do you only know traditional dances?"

Rukia turned around and looked up. "I can do modern and ballet. I'm just practicing traditional now."

Ichigo scratched his head. "Is dancing…fun?"

Rukia's gaze shifted down and to Ichigo's surprise, a smile flitted over her lips. "Dancing allows me to release all of my emotions," Rukia said serenely. "If there wasn't a dance studio here, I'd probably be even crazier than I am now."

Ichigo smiled. "Orihime used to say that art is the best medicine for the mind." As soon as the words escaped Ichigo's lips, his blood turned cold. He hadn't thought about Orihime in a while, and the naive part of Ichigo's heart had prayed he would be able to forget about her."

"Ori…hime?" Rukia stared at Ichigo like a deer caught in headlights.

Ichigo frowned. "Yeah my ex-wife's name is Orihime, what about it?"

"Orihime is not the most common name," Rukia said slowly.

Ichigo clenched his fists. "So?"

"What college did Orihime go to?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo cocked his head, his annoyance replaced with confusion. "University of Tokyo." Orihime had ranked third at Karakura High. "Why?"

"Because your ex-wife was my roommate."

Ichigo felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His jaw fell open. "WHA-"

"Orihime and I were roommates during our freshman year," Rukia said, crossing her arms. "I see her often whenever I'm allowed to go out."

"Las Noches lets you go out?" Ichigo said. "Don't you have to be-"

"I'm not _that_ unstable, Ichigo," Rukia replied calmly. "I can control myself well enough to be out for a day."

Ichigo's legs grew weak. "So you see Orihime whenever you go out?"

Rukia nodded. "You know the coffee shop, _Kawaii Bean_? I go there every time, and I always see Orihime."

"_Kawaii Bean_ is Orihime's favorite," Ichigo said. His voice was shaking like crazy. "Do you talk to each other?"

"I hate seeing people I know in public," Rukia said. "So if she didn't notice me, I say nothing. But once in a while she'll see me and say 'hi.'"

"Orihime never really told me about you," Ichigo mumbled.

"We weren't very close," Rukia said. "She's too…cheery for my liking, no offense."

"None taken." At that moment, it dawned on Ichigo that Orihime _did_ mention Rukia once.

_"So what's your roommate like?" Ichigo asked as he and Orihime sat down on his bed._

_Orihime sniffed. "She's very…interesting."_

_Ichigo leaned back. "How so?"_

_"She barely talks," Orihime said. "And she has this intimidating aura. Also, she's related to Kuchiki, Byakuya."_

_"KUCHIKI-OW!" Ichigo groaned as he slammed his head against the wall._

_"Ichigo-kun!" _

"Hey, Ichigo!" Rukia waved her hand in his face, snapping Ichigo out.

"You know Orihime," Ichigo reiterated. Ichigo could suddenly see a ray of light. Grinning like a maniac, he grabbed Rukia's shoulders and shook her. "_You know Orihime_."

Rukia took Ichigo's hands and pulled them off of her. "Yes, yes, I know Orihime. I've already established that."

"Rukia," Ichigo said. "I know we're not close, but may I ask you a favor?"

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Ichigo took a deep breath. "Can you relay a message to Orihime for me?"

Rukia's eyes widened. "What?"

"Look, I know we had a rough start," Ichigo said. "But I really really need to talk to Orihime. But she put a restraining order on me, and I'm not allowed to step out of Las Noches for another few months anyway."

"Why ask me?" Rukia demanded. "Ask your friends!"

"Orihime shut them all out," Ichigo said. "But she doesn't know we're acquainted with each other. I can write a letter to Orihime, and you can deliver it for me!"

"What am I, your slave?!" Rukia pushed Ichigo and stormed off.

"Rukia, wait!" Ichigo followed her. "I'll do anything in return, anything!"

Rukia froze. "Anything?" She whispered. She turned around and smirked.

Ichigo's hands grew sweaty. "Yeah, anything."

"Anything?" Rukia took a step forward and stood on her tiptoes. Ichigo flushed when he realized that Rukia's face was only inches away from his. And she was slowly closing the gap.

Ichigo shut his eyes. He didn't want to kiss her, he really didn't. But if that's what Rukia wanted…

Rukia pulled away and laughed. "Just kidding!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. He winced. "Not funny, Rukia!"

Rukia smirked. "You're as red as a strawberry."

Ichigo covered his face. "Shut up!"

"How cute." Rukia stuck her hand down her kimono, and Ichigo couldn't stop himself from picturing Rukia stripping.

To his relief, Rukia pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and handed it to Ichigo. Ichigo took it and read.

"THE KARAKURA DANCE REVOLUTION

SIGN UP BY NOVEMBER 21ST AND DANCE WITH YOUR PARTNER ON APRIL 3RD AT THE KARAKURA CONSERVATORY

WINNERS RECEIVE A PRIZE OF $500!"

"I've been wanting to participate in this for a few years," Rukia said. "But I need a partner."

"Rukia, I can't dance," Ichigo said.

"I can teach you."

Ichigo sighed. "Honestly, I don't want to dance. Can't you come up with something else?"

"Ichigo," Rukia said. "You asked me for a huge favor. I expect something just as big in return. This dance contest is important to me." She swiped the paper from Ichigo's hand. "Take it or leave it." She marched off.

Ichigo reached out for her. "Rukia-"

"Come to me when you have decided," Rukia called back. She left Ichigo alone in the studio absolutely speechless.

* * *

><p>Ichigo's session with Urahara was painfully awkward. This time, it wasn't because of Urahara's questions, but because of Ichigo's responses. They were brief and detached, and for the first time, Urahara seemed unable to draw a conclusion from them.<p>

Urahara tapped his chin with his pen. "Did something happen between you and Mrs. Kuchiki?"

Ichigo jumped in his seat. "How-?"

"I know you better than you think," Urahara replied a matter-of-factly. "So tell me, what happened this time?"

Ichigo sighed. "I saw Rukia at the dance studio this morning." Urahara raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised that Rukia danced. "We chatted a bit, and it turned out that Rukia was Orihime's college roommate."

"What an…interesting plot twist," Urahara mused.

Ichigo nodded. "That's only the beginning of it. Rukia said that whenever she was let out of Las Noches for a day, she'd see Orihime at _Kawaii Bean_. So…" Ichigo took a deep breath. "I asked Rukia if she could send a message to Orihime for me."

Urahara raised his fan over his face. "And why exactly did you ask that?"

"I thought Orihime and I were destined to be together," Ichigo said. "But she was unfaithful and I have no idea why. I want to know what went wrong."

"That's understandable," Urahara said. "But why Mrs. Kuchiki? What made you think she would comply?"

Ichigo swallowed. "Rukia…offered that we make a deal."

"Oooh," Urahara leaned forward. "Now I'm really interested. What does she want in return? Your body?"

Ichigo grit his teeth. He wanted to punch Urahara for that, but figured that Urahara would just block his fist. "Rukia wants to do some dance contest," Ichigo said. "But she needs a partner. So she wants me to-"

"Dance with her?" Urahara interrupted. He chuckled. "It's difficult for me to imagine you dancing."

Ichigo gestured at Urahara. "See? See? This is why I don't know what to do. I can't dance and frankly, I'm not interested in learning. But this is probably my best chance at communicating with Orihime."

Urahara leaned back with a smirk on his face. "And befriending Mrs. Kuchiki."

Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"

"This deal Mrs. Kuchiki is offering you," Urahara explained. "Has more pluses than negatives. Use your brain for once and think. If you accept, you can spend more time with Mrs. Kuchiki and possibly befriending her, which is what you want, right? You can also communicate with your ex without really getting into trouble. And even better, you'll be finding something new to do, which is a crucial aspect of recovery. If you do well in this contest, you may even be allowed to leave Las Noches for good! The only downside of accepting this deal is having to dance."

Ichigo barely heard Urahara's last statement. His other points rang like a bell in Ichigo's head.

_If you accept, you can spend more time with Mrs. Kuchiki and possibly befriending her, which is what you want, right?_

_You can also communicate with your ex without really getting into trouble._

_And even better, you'll be finding something new to do, which is a crucial aspect of recovery. If you do well in this contest, you may even be allowed to leave Las Noches for good!_

Ichigo looked up at the ceiling. A gold, circular chandelier shone brightly and seemed to be smiling at him.

_Mom…I think…the rain is ending._

* * *

><p>Ichigo ran through the hallway and skidded as he made a turn. He grinned when he saw Rukia's male nurse pushing a cart of pillows.<p>

"Taro!" Ichigo called out.

Taro turned around. "Oh, Mr. Kurosaki! How can I help you? And my name's _Hana_taro."

Ichigo stopped in front of him. "Your name is too hard to remember. Anyways, where's Rukia?"

"Mrs. Kuchiki?" Hanataro scratched his blue head. "I believe she's in her room. Why?"

"I need to tell her something," Ichigo said. "What's her room number?"

"Um, 1513-"

"Thanks!" Ichigo ran off, leaving behind a dumbfounded Hanataro.

Ichigo watched the colored doors fly by. _1530…1521…1513!_

Ichigo stopped and panted. Standing up straighter, he knocked on the door and sure enough, Rukia opened it. She was staring at Ichigo quizzically, but Ichigo knew that she knew.

"What do you want?" Rukia asked.

There was no turning back. Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Deal."

* * *

><p><strong>Disappointed that Ichigo and Rukia didn't kiss? Muahaha you guys will have to wait ;) Thoughts on this chapter?<strong>


	9. Reality is Almost Always Wrong

**Sorry for the late update! I was studying for my AP bio exam. Thank the lord it's over.**

**Some of you pointed out that I referred to Rukia as "Mrs" instead of "Miss." That was a grammar error. Thanks for pointing it out!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

Reality is Almost Always Wrong

"Left… no, _left_…GOD DAMMIT ICHIGO I SAID LEFT!"

Ichigo grit his teeth and removed his hands from Rukia. Rukia stepped back and crossed her arms. Since Ichigo never really danced, Rukia had decided to start with the "basics," so for the past hour or so, Rukia taught Ichigo common dance moves. Now, they were "waltzing."

"You literally have the IQ of a potato," Rukia said, rubbing her face.

Ichigo curled his lip. "I believe you used the word "literally" wrong."

"Go suck a fuck."

"Oh please enlighten me Rukia," Ichigo sneered. "How exactly does one suck a fuck?"

"Quit being a smart ass," Rukia replied wryly. She walked over to the stereo and turned off the classical music. For a moment, she stood there silently. Ichigo was about to walk over to her when all of a sudden, Rukia kneeled down and groaned with her hands clutching her head.

"Rukia, are you OK?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia got up and glared at Ichigo. "No, I am NOT OK! We've only been practicing for twenty minutes, and I already feel like I'm going to get a migraine."

"Rukia-"

Rukia stomped over to Ichigo and tapped his chest furiously with her finger. "You are not putting in all of your effort. I'm not stupid, Ichigo. I know that you can do better."

Ichigo slapped Rukia's hand away. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just _maybe_, I'm a bad dancer and will always be?"

"You refusing to move left is not being a bad dancer," Rukia said. "That's just being uncooperative." In a softer tone, she added, "Ichigo, we made a deal. Can you please at least pretend to care?"

Ichigo hesitated and sighed. "Fine." He placed one hand on Rukia's back while the other held her hand.

"One two three, one two three…" Rukia whispered. Ichigo awkwardly followed Rukia's steps.

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled when he stepped on her foot. Rukia shook her foot for a moment and suddenly pulled away.

"Ichigo, if you really don't want to do this, we can call off the deal," Rukia said. "I really want to participate in the tournament, but I can't dance with someone who truly does not want to."

Dancing was never one of Ichigo's favorite activities, but seeing Rukia's eyes cast down made Ichigo feel a bit guilty. Dancing was Rukia's passion, the one thing that kept her going. And she had even agreed to help Ichigo with Orihime, even though she didn't have to. It was selfish of Ichigo to not try his best.

"Rukia." Ichigo extended his hand and bowed with his head raised. He smirked and said, "May I have this dance?"

Rukia jumped slightly, her eyes wide. She looked as if her mind was still processing his request. After a moment, she smirked and took Ichigo's hand. His fingers curled around her tiny hand.

"You know, for a small person, you have a lot of spirit," Ichigo said as he placed his other hand on her waist.

"I consider myself to be the reincarnate of Napoleon," Rukia quipped. She positioned her hand on his shoulder. "For a big guy, you sure have a tiny brain."

Ichigo and Rukia moved left and then right together. "Actually, the size of the brain does not determine intelligence," Ichigo remarked. "It's the amount of wrinkles."

"Yeah but if you have a tiny brain, you probably won't have as much wrinkles as a larger one," Rukia said. They stepped diagonally. "You lack common sense."

"Still got into med school, though," Ichigo said. "You have to be pretty smart in order to do that."

"Well I graduated from law school," Rukia replied. "You have to be pretty tough in order to do that."

"Ever watched the show _House_?" Ichigo asked as he stepped back. "You kind of remind me of Dr. House."

Rukia smirked. "If I'm House, then you're the detective House left with a thermometer up his asshole."

"I actually see myself more as Wilson," Ichigo admitted. "I don't know why."

Rukia thought about it for a moment. "I can see you testing on your date's leftovers for cancer."

Ichigo chuckled. "I can't see myself dating Cuddy."

"Everyone always says something like that," Rukia said. "I never thought I was going to end up here, but I did."

"I've actually dealt with patients with psychosis before," Ichigo said. "There was one man who was a priest. I guess he watched _House_ too because he once said, 'You talk to God, you're religious; God talks to you, you're psychotic.' He hung himself that night with a note saying the Lord needed him or something along the lines of that."

"That's morbid," Rukia said as she stepped forward. "My favorite _House_ quote has always been 'Reality is almost always wrong' because it's so true."

Ichigo nodded. "I took a Psych course in college. My teacher showed us a picture of a checkerboard with dark and light gray tiles. There was a cylinder in one corner that cast a shadow over some tiles. A dark gray tile that wasn't in the shadow was labeled "1" and a light gray tile that was in the shadow was labeled "2." My teacher asked us which tile was darker and naturally, we said tile 1. But when she took tile 1 and placed it over tile 2, they turned out to be the same shade."

"How does that work out?"

Ichigo smirked. "Our mind subconsciously compared the tiles to their surroundings. Since tile 1 was surrounded by lighter tiles, our mind thought it was darker than average. And since tile 2 was surrounded by darker squares, our mind thought it was lighter than average."

"No matter how sane you are, your mind will always distort reality," Rukia mused. She stopped and let go of Ichigo. "I think we've practiced enough for today. You didn't step on my foot during our whole conversation, so I guess you're improving."

Ichigo snorted. "You guess?"

Rukia picked up her stereo and began walking out. "Yeah sure." She paused. "We'll try modern tomorrow."

Ichigo jogged up to her. "You think I'm ready for that?"

Rukia glanced up at him and smirked. "I _know_ you're ready for that."

* * *

><p>Ichigo practically jumped onto his bed as he clicked his pen and opened a notepad. He spun the ballpoint pen around his thumb as he stared at the blank paper. Ichigo felt as if he were looking at a test.<p>

Ichigo placed the tip of the pen on the paper and wrote with trembling hands, "Dear Orihime."

The pen stopped. The last time Ichigo had seen Orihime, she divorced and completely ignored him. Was it strange for Ichigo to use the word "dear?" After thinking for a moment, Ichigo ripped the paper off the pad and crumpled it and tossed it aside.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo wrote on a new piece of paper, "Orihime."

Ichigo's mind went blank. He knew what he wanted to say, but had no idea how to word it. What if he offended Orihime, and she called the cops on him for harassment? What if Orihime didn't understand what he was saying? _What if she never even bothered to read it_?

That last thought hadn't crossed Ichigo's mind until now. Orihime had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Why would she waste time reading a letter from him? Why would she even accept the letter from Rukia? The deal Ichigo made with Rukia suddenly felt so wrong and Ichigo wondered whether he should stick with it or not.

_"Dancing allows me to release all of my emotions. If there wasn't a dance studio here, I'd probably be even crazier than I am now." _Rukia had never looked and sounded so serene before. Ichigo had actually been taken aback by her response.

_"You asked me for a huge favor. I expect something just as big in return. This dance contest is important to me." _

Ichigo didn't know how long he sat there, but it must've been a while since Toshiro walked in and said, "Oh hey, Ichigo! Didn't expect you to be here. It's almost dinner time. Wanna go after I wash my hands?"

Ichigo placed the notepad and pen onto the bedside-table. "Yeah sure."

"Just wait thirty seconds," Toshiro said and walked into the bathroom. Ichigo heard the sound of running water.

_"I really want to participate in the tournament, but I can't dance with someone who truly does not want to."_

Ichigo sat at the edge of his bed and stared down at his shoes. The sound of running water faded away.

"Let's go," Toshiro said. Ichigo got up and only walked a few steps when suddenly, he stopped.

Toshiro turned around and cocked his head. "Uh, Ichigo. I know dinner is great, but why are you smiling like that?"

"Because I'm excited for dinner," Ichigo replied.

Toshiro blinked. "Um, OK?" He turned and the two made their way to the cafeteria.

_Even if Orihime doesn't read the letter_, Ichigo thought. _I should still help Rukia win the dance tournament. I _want _to help her._

* * *

><p>When Ichigo stepped into Urahara's office, he heard the elegant sound of a piano.<p>

"Good afternoon, Ichigoooo!" Urahara sang.

"Please don't say my name like that again," Ichigo said as he took a seat.

Urahara smirked. "Iiichiiigoooo!"

"Stop or I'll skin you."

Urahara leaned back in his chair and placed his arms behind his head. "If you do that, you'll get arrested."

"It's worth it." Ichigo glanced around the room and spotted an iPod on Urahara's desk. "What song are you playing?"

"It's called 'One Summer's Day' by Joe Hisaishi," Urahara replied. "Ever watched the film, _Spirited Away_? It's from that movie."

"OK," Ichigo said. "Wanna turn it off so we can talk and I can leave?"

"Actually, I was thinking that we just sit back, relax, and enjoy the music," Urahara mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ichigo marched over to Urahara and grabbed the collar of his shirt. His onyx eyes opened immediately, and stared calmly at Ichigo.

"I don't fucking have _time_ to listen to anime soundtracks," Ichigo growled. "And frankly, I really don't want to."

"Music helps heal the _soul_," Urahara said in a breathy voice.

"Shut the fuck up!" Ichigo snapped. "Your indie, hipster whatever is not amusing at all."

"Tis true though!" Urahara said in an Irish accent. "People often resort to music to help them cope."

"Not me!" Ichigo released Urahara. "If you're not going to help, then I'm just going to leave."

"Then I'll just have Unohana sedate you," Urahara replied in his normal voice. "She's surprisingly strong."

Groaning, Ichigo sat down. He rubbed his face. "Urahara, please. Actually do something so I know I'm not wasting an hour of my life."

Urahara rubbed his chin. "Did something happen between you and Miss Kuchiki? You cursed three times more than you usually do. Is Miss Kuchiki just a bad influence?"

Ichigo shook his head. "I'm fine. Really, I am. Our first practice was actually decent."

"Elaborate."

Ichigo scratched his head. "Well since I never really danced before, Rukia wanted to start with the basics. We stretched, and did some kiddy dances like the 'Electric Slide.' Then we waltzed and I struggled at first, but I eventually got the hang of it."

"And how did you feel after you danced?"

"What do you mean?"

Urahara jotted something down on his notepad. "Dance is a form of art. You're supposed to _feel _something."

Ichigo rolled his eyes up as he considered Urahara's words. "Well, I felt excited afterwards 'cause I started on my letter to Orihime."

Urahara sighed. "That's not what I meant. Did dancing with Miss Kuchiki evoke any thoughts or emotions? Annoyance, frustration, happiness?"

"I was frustrated at first because I wasn't getting the moves right," Ichigo admitted. "But then I tried again and Rukia and I started talking about the show, _House_. I was so into the conversation that I forgot I was dancing."

"In other words, you barely felt anything." Urahara scribbled something on his notepad. "Are you still reluctant to dance with Miss Kuchiki?"

Ichigo leaned back into the chair. "I decided that I was willing to help her, whether or not our plans succeed."

Urahara's eyes widened for a second. "I have to admit, I'm surprised. You never struck me as a considerate guy."

"My attitude depends on who you are," Ichigo said.

"If that's the case, then Miss Kuchiki must be important to you," Urahara speculated.

Ichigo shrugged. "To a certain extent, I guess. She _is_ helping me."

"Alright, if you say so," Urahara said in an unconvinced tone. He waved his hand. "You may leave now. Remember to take the Xanax."

Ichigo rose to his feet. "Yeah yeah." As Ichigo headed towards the door, he felt an eery chill shoot down his spine, causing him to freeze. Pushing the feeling away, Ichigo walked out the room, not realizing that Urahara was staring at him without blinking even once the whole time.

* * *

><p>That damn piano song was stuck in Ichigo's head. He tried to think about something else, like what to write to Orihime, but the notes amplified in his mind each time.<p>

"Ah, fuck my life," Ichigo said as the song blared in his ears. He stuck his hands in his pockets.

Suddenly, Ichigo heard sneakers screeching against the floor and a loud _CRASH_. Ichigo whirled around. A large black man was lying against the wall, his body positioned awkwardly. A few nurses surrounded him.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" The man bellowed as the nurses helped him up. He wriggled away from their grip.

"Calm down Mr. Llargo," one of the nurses said.

"CALM DOWN? _CALM DOWN_?! THAT AIZEN IS A FUCKING LEECH WHO FUCKING FEEDS ON PEOPLE'S MONEY! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU CALM DOWN WHEN A BASTARD LIKE HIM ROBS YOU!"

"Mr. Llargo, listen-"

"I WAS PERFECTLY FINE BEFORE I CAME HERE!" Mr. Llargo screamed. "I HAD A TEMPER, YES BUT I WAS FUCKING HEALTHY! THEN THAT COCK SUCKER HAD TO POINT HIS FUCKING FINGER AT ME AND SAY 'OH LOOK AT THAT POOR MAN! HE MUST FUCKING HAVE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES! LET'S LOCK HIM UP LIKE A FUCKING DOG!'" He smacked the nurses away. More nurses ran to help. Ichigo spotted something shiny glisten in one of the reinforcement's hand. It was a syringe.

"Mr. Llargo, please understand that Mr. Aizen means well," A nurse said calmly.

"OH HOW CONVENIENT! BLAME THE CRAZY ONE! FUCK YOU, FUCK THIS PLACE, FUCK EVERYTHING!" Mr. Llargo's beady eyes searched the room and zeroed in on Ichigo.

"RUN AWAY!" He ordered. "RUN AWAY FROM THIS HELL AND NEVER COME BACK! STAY ANY LONGER, AND THAT FUCKER WILL-"

The man never got to finish his sentence because at that moment, a nurse stuck the needle in the man's arm. He collapsed onto the floor.

While the nurses lifted the large man up, the final note of "One Summer's Day" played, and faded off into the void.


	10. I Promise

**I can't believe this story is already at chapter 10! I liked this chapter a lot, I hope you guys like it too.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10<p>

I Promise

Ichigo let go of Rukia as she twirled to the other side of the room. Cheeks red from hours of dancing, Rukia said, "And now for the grand finale!"

Ichigo swallowed as Rukia charged at him. He raised his arms up as Rukia jumped on him and wrapped his arms around her warm, petite body.

Well, at least he caught her.

"OOF!" Both Ichigo and Rukia groaned as they fell onto the wood floor. Ichigo rubbed his throbbing head while Rukia sat up.

"We're going to have to work on that," Rukia mumbled and got up. She extended her hand and helped Ichigo up.

"We don't _have_ to do that for the tournament, right?" Ichigo silently prayed the answer was "no." It wasn't that Rukia was heavy or anything. On the contrary, she was as light as a feather. It was just that the sudden impact caused Ichigo to lose his balance and he didn't think it was because the floor was slippery.

"Are you kidding me?" Rukia wiped some sweat off her brow. "_Every_ professional dancer needs to be able to perform this skill."

"We're not professional," Ichigo pointed out.

"Well we'll be just as good as one after lots of practice," Rukia said, turning off the stereo. She picked up her phone. "Hey, it's almost 4."

Ichigo cocked his head. "Yeah? What about it?"

"It's Sunday."

Ichigo put two and two together. "SHIT!" Ichigo sprinted out of the dance room. Rukia ran after him.

"Do you think I have time to shower?" Ichigo asked as turned and skidded. He lunged at the elevator and pressed the up button. The doors opened almost immediately and he dove in while Rukia calmly stepped inside. She pressed "15."

"Well, it's 3:56. By the time you get to your room, it will be what, 3:59? If you're lucky, of course. Unless you can shower and get changed in a minute, probably not." Rukia smirked.

Ichigo dusted his shirt. "How do I smell?"

"Like a seventh grader who's never heard of deodorant."

"Fuck."

The elevators dinged and opened. Ichigo rushed out, but before he made his way to the common room, he sensed Rukia turning the other way.

Ichigo glanced back. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Back to my room," Rukia answered. "No one visits me anymore." She turned and began to walk away.

"Hey!" Ichigo called out. Rukia looked back at him quizzically.

"Er, never mind. See ya later," Ichigo mumbled. Rukia furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused, but shrugged and said "bye" and walked off.

Digging his pockets, Ichigo headed for the common room, cursing himself for his awkwardness. He had wanted to ask Rukia if she wanted to meet his family and friends but for some reason, couldn't bring himself to do so.

Ichigo combed his spiky orange hair with his fingers and entered the common room.

"ICHIGO!" Isshin caught Ichigo in a giant bear hug. Ichigo cringed and awkwardly patted his father's back.

"ICHIGO I-" Isshin drew back and sniffed. Frowning, he slapped Ichigo.

"W-What the fuck dad?" Ichigo exclaimed, his hand on his cheek.

"You smell awful!" Isshin scolded. "Like…Like…a sweaty sock!"

"Don't be surprised, Dr. Kurosaki." Uryu walked over with Tatsuki, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, Nemu, Karin, and Yuzu. "That's Ichigo's natural scent. Shame he doesn't smell like his name."

"Kiss my ass, Uryu," Ichigo snapped.

Tatsuki sniffed and frowned. "You really do smell bad though. What were you doing today?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Er, working out."

"And you didn't bother to shower?"

"I lost track of time." Ichigo changed the subject. "So, got any good news?"

Everyone smiled and stepped aside so that Yuzu, who had been unnaturally quiet, was directly in front of Ichigo.

"Well…" Yuzu's face was a deep shade of crimson. "I uh…"

"Do you want your proud daddy to say it?" Isshin asked excitedly. Karin smacked his head.

Yuzu took a deep breath and raised her hand. Wrapped around her ring finger was s shiny diamond ring that glittered under the light.

"I'm getting married!"

If Ichigo was in a cartoon, there would be giant ellipses floating over his head. "_Huh_?"

Yuzu beamed and squealed, "I'm getting _married_ Ichi-nii! His name is Hanakari, Jinta and he owns a general goods store across my bakery and he's got gorgeous red hair and he's just the most perfect man in the world and he proposed to me last Wednesday!"

Ichigo's mouth dropped to the floor. He turned to everyone else. "Why didn't any of you tell me before?!"

"Yuzu wanted to tell you in person," Tatsuki laughed.

"The wedding's going to be in April!" Yuzu chimed.

"Beginning or middle?" Ichigo asked.

Yuzu blinked. "Middle, most likely. Why?"

"Just wondering," Ichigo said, stifling a sigh of relief. It would've been problematic if the wedding was on the same day as the dance contest. He smiled. "Sorry about my slow reaction, Yuzu. I just can't believe my little sister is engaged."

Yuzu's face grew all serious. "I'm 25 years old, Ichi-nii. I'm no longer a child."

"You still act like one," Ichigo teased. Yuzu pouted.

"Hey, Ichigo." Ichigo glanced back at a solemn Karin.

"Yeah?"

Karin crossed her arms and frowned. "Do you…do you think Las Noches will let you attend the wedding? What if…what if something happens and you can't?" Yuzu gasped and stared at Ichigo, her eyes begging for a response.

Ichigo thought about it for a moment. "Well, I should have my outside privileges by then, so yeah I should be able to attend the wedding." Ichigo grinned. "In fact, none of you should worry about me missing the wedding, because by April, I'll be cured and able to go back home."

Uryu was staring at Ichigo like he was a lunatic for making such a bold statement, but everyone else smiled.

"Really?" Yuzu asked.

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. My wedding gift to you will be my recovery. I promise."

"Such a bold promise from such a bold man," a familiar voice said, startling Ichigo. He whirled around and saw a tall man with slicked back brown hair. He was wearing a white suit over a dusty pink button down shirt. Ichigo suddenly realized why the voice sounded so familiar. He heard his voice almost every single morning on the loudspeaker.

It was Aizen. _The_ Sosuke Aizen.

"Good afternoon," Aizen said with a charming smile on his face. Out of the corner of Ichigo's eye, he could see Karin blush.

"Ooh!" Isshin grabbed Aizen's hand and shook it vigorously. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Aizen!"

Aizen blinked. "Er, pleasure to meet you too, Mr…?"

"Kurosaki! Dr. Kurosaki Isshin!" Isshin said. He released Aizen's hand. He must've held it pretty damn tight because Aizen's pale hand was now red.

Rubbing his hand, Aizen nodded at Ichigo. "Hello, Kurosaki, Ichigo."

Ichigo scratched his head. Though Aizen was smiling, there was something about his sharp brown eyes that intimidated Ichigo just a little. "Hi Mr. Aizen. Er, what brings you here?"

"I always try to greet the new patients," Aizen said. "I want them to feel welcomed."

"I've been here for like a month already."

Aizen chuckled. "Well not everyone can do whatever they want, whenever they want."

"Right, sorry," Ichigo mumbled.

"No hard feelings," Aizen said. He lifted his wrist and looked down at a gold Rolex watch. "Oh, would you look at the time! I'd love to chat more, but I'm afraid I must leave. Enjoy your stay, Kurosaki Ichigo."

As Aizen walked off, Keigo tapped Ichigo's shoulder and whispered, "Dude, that guy's clothes probably cost more than what I make in a year!"

Ichigo barely heard Keigo. All he could think about was Mr. Fargo's enraged screams: _THAT AIZEN IS A FUCKING LEECH WHO FUCKING FEEDS ON PEOPLE'S MONEY! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU CALM DOWN WHEN A BASTARD LIKE HIM ROBS YOU!_

Aizen was slightly intimidating, but that was only because of his power and wealth. He wasn't a "bastard." In fact, Aizen seemed like a nice person.

_Besides, once I'm cured, Aizen has to let me go. He can't just decide to keep me here._

_Right?_

* * *

><p>"OK Urahara!" Ichigo said as he stormed into Urahara's office. He plopped onto a leather chair. "I need to be cured by April. Ask me any question and I'll answer as best as I can."<p>

"OK…" Urahara said, looking quite perplexed. "Want to explain your sudden change in attitude?"

"My younger sister is getting married," Ichigo said. "I promised her that I'll be cured by her wedding."

Urahara knitted his eyebrows. "You told your sister, that you'll be cured by April?"

Ichigo nodded. "I figured that would be the best wedding present for Yuzu. She was devastated when I first came here."

"And what happens if you can't keep your promise?"

"I can," Ichigo said firmly. "I _will_."

Urahara sighed. "I can't guarantee that you'll be cured by then. The best I can do is listen to you. Your recovery depends on yourself." Urahara opened his notepad. "So tell me, Ichigo, how was your day?"

"It was good," Ichigo replied. "I danced with Rukia and saw my friends and family."

"You've never actually talked about your friends and family before," Urahara said. "Just Orihime. Want to tell me about them?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "One of them is named Uryu. We have a love-hate relationship. We bicker a lot, but he's my best friend. Uryu has a wife named Nemu and a son named Soken. I have another friend named Chad who doesn't talk very often. Keigo is a retard who's always with Mizuiro, who has a thing for older women. My dad is also a retard and annoys the hell out of me. I have two sisters named Yuzu and Karin. I have a friend named Tatsuki who I've known since childhood."

"And you're very close to all of them?"

Ichigo reminisced his high school days. "Yeah, we're all very close."

In an unnaturally casual voice, Urahara asked, "And what about your mother?"

The tips of Ichigo's fingers and toes froze. "What?"

"You didn't mention your mother," Urahara said a matter-of-factly.

The air in the room suddenly felt very hot and Ichigo had trouble breathing. The walls seemed to be closing in on him. "We're no longer close." Ichigo gripped the leather arms of the chair and rose to his feet. "I have to leave."

Urahara's eyes glimmered. "We're not done yet."

"Yes we are!" Ichigo walked out briskly.

"At this rate, you'll never be cured!" Urahara called.

Ichigo ignored Urahara's comment and sped down the hallway and entered an elevator. He knew deep down that he had to open up, but he simply wasn't ready. He didn't want to recall that day.

_"Damn, you is _fine. _Want to have a few drinks with me?"_

_"I'm married."_

_"Ah come on! Don't be so prude."_

_"Ichigo, let's go."_

_"Oh you're not going anywhere."_

The deafening scream that had haunted Ichigo's mind for so long blasted in his ears. Ichigo had not heard the scream this loud before. Everything was coming at him like a train.

The elevator stopped and opened. Ichigo quickly walked out.

_"Stay away from my son and I!"_

Ichigo was running now. The corner of Ichigo's vision was turning blood red. The screams grew louder and louder. Suddenly, Ichigo heard another cry. A little boy was crying.

_Go away, go away!_ Ichigo's head began to throb. He stopped at a door. It took Ichigo a moment to realize he wasn't standing in front of his door.

He had ran to Rukia's.

_Why?_ Ichigo wondered. _Why did I come here?_

Suddenly, the door opened and standing right in front of Ichigo was the violet eyed widow.

"Ichigo, why are you here?" Rukia asked.

"How did you know someone was here?"

Rukia answered, "I have psychic powers." She studied his face. "Come in." Rukia opened the door wider and gestured inside. Ichigo reluctantly walked in.

Rukia's room was very tidy, and looked exactly like Ichigo's. Resting on top of her bed was a laptop with rabbit stickers on it.

Ichigo glanced around the room. The area around one bed was practically empty, as if no one had used it for a while.

"Where's your roommate?" Ichigo asked.

"She was checked out a few weeks before you arrived." Rukia fell back on the bed, her arms and legs spread out. "I have this room all to myself, now."

"Lucky you," Ichigo said, sitting down next to her. Rukia sat up. "Toshiro always wakes up early and usually ends up waking me up."

"My old roommate was like that too," Rukia said. "She had trouble sleeping and would always try to talk to me in the middle of the night. The longest she's ever slept was like, what, six hours?"

"That's rough," Ichigo said. "Sorry."

Rukia smirked. "You don't have to apologize for something like that, especially since it wasn't your fault at all."

"Hey, I was just showing some sympathy," Ichigo replied. "Toshiro does that with me. My dad used to do wake me up early all the time as well."

"Byakuya did that a lot, too," Rukia said in a soft voice. "He thought that if I slept too much, I'd gain weight."

"Actually, not getting enough sleep _makes_ you gain weight," Ichigo said, smiling. Talking with Rukia was actually…soothing. All that turmoil Ichigo felt before seemed to be lifting off his chest.

Then, to his surprise, Rukia _laughed_. It was an uncontrollable laugh, one that made Rukia clutch her sides and her cheeks flush. Ichigo's breath caught in his throat and something fluttered in the pit of his stomach.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo asked, poking Rukia's cheek.

Her laugh reduced to giggles. "Byakuya thinks he's always right, and usually he is. So whenever he's wrong, I just die."

"You," Ichigo said. "Are easily amused."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Ichigo half-closed his eyes and stared at the floor with a small smile on his face.

"No, it's not."


	11. Letters to Juliet

**Sorry for the long update again! Unfortunately, I'm going to be super busy this summer so updates aren't going to be frequent. Thank you in advance for your patience**

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Letters to Juliet

_Orihime,_

_I know that we left on bad terms, and I understand if you chose not to read the whole thing, but please, just please hear me out. I have so many things to tell you, and so many questions to ask._

_First off, I'd like you to know that I'm doing well. The people here are generally nice. I've made friends. Remember that Victoria's Secret Model you used to love so much? She's here as well and we're quite close. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm also friends with your former college roommate. It's a small world, after all. _

_I'm sure you heard that Yuzu is engaged. The wedding is mid-April. I hope you can come. Yuzu has always been fond of you. I told her that I would attend her wedding as a cured man. To be honest, though, I don't completely understand what my ailment is. Dr. Urahara says I have bipolar disorder, but I don't really recall having many mood swings. That's one question I wanted to ask you. Did I lose control of myself often? Was I "unpredictable?" _

_The question I really want the answer to is, "did I ever hurt you?" I don't know what went wrong between us, Orihime. I don't know how we went from being completely in love to-_

"Whatcha reading?"Ichigo jumped at Toshiro's question and quickly folded the letter and shoved it into his pocket. Toshiro's brows furrowed.

"Er, nothing," Ichigo sputtered. He got up from his bed and forced a smile. "Man I'm starving!"

Quick as a mouse, Toshiro swiped the letter from Ichigo's pocket as he turned to the door.

"Hey!" Ichigo whirled around and grabbed at the paper. Toshiro stepped back and unfolded it. Eyes widening, Ichigo tackled into Toshiro and the two men rolled across the floor, cursing and clawing at each other.

Toshiro managed to slither away from Ichigo's grip. He shot up and crossed his arms.

Ichigo rose to his feet, anger swelling up inside him. "What the FUCK, Toshiro?! That's mine! Give it back!"

Toshiro's cool blue eyes stared hard at Ichigo. His expression was unreadable. "Ichigo, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you're taking something that's MINE!" Ichigo extended his arm. "I'm gonna give you three seconds Toshiro. One…two…"

"I'm not stupid, Ichigo," Toshiro replied, unfazed by Ichigo's threat. "I know what you're up to."

Ichigo's arm dropped to his side. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You think we haven't noticed?" Toshiro's voice was much louder than before. "You think we haven't noticed you and Kuchiki sneaking off everyday to god knows where? You think we haven't noticed you and Kuchiki coming back with sweat all over yourselves?"

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "W-We're not having sex!"

Toshiro ignored Ichigo's comment. "It took all of Kenpachi's effort to not ask questions. Rangiku and I figured that your relationship with Kuchiki was none of our business."

"You're goddamn right it isn't!" Ichigo snapped. He surged forward and tried to grab the letter from Toshiro's tiny hand. As if anticipating this, Toshiro stepped away.

"Then yesterday," Toshiro continued. "I went through our drawers to look for _The Racial Contract_. It wasn't there."

Ichigo made another grab at Toshiro's hand, but Toshiro ducked and walked backwards.

"So I searched around the room and not only did I find _The Racial Contract_, but I found a piece of paper with the name 'Orihime' on it. I didn't have to read the letter to know who this Orihime person was. I couldn't help but think about your mysterious relationship with Kuchiki and then I remembered that Kuchiki had outside privileges and I put two and two together." Toshiro's lip curled. "Do you understand the severity of your actions, Ichigo?"

"I'm not going to kill anyone, Toshiro," Ichigo said.

"_You're using Kuchiki to communicate with your ex who by the way, put a restraining order on you_," Toshiro snapped.

"U-USING?!" Ichigo let out a dry laugh. "Is that what you think of me Toshiro? A guy who toys with people's feelings?"

"I think your judgement is clouded!" Toshiro replied without skipping a beat. "Think about what you're doing, Ichigo! We live in a world where people could sue you for just bumping into them. Imagine what the consequences would be if you went through with your plan!"

Ichigo spread his arms out. "You think I haven't thought about them already?! Toshiro, I _know_ that Orihime put a restraining order on me. I _know_ that I could get in a lot of trouble for this-don't give me that look-but I _need_ to do this. I have questions that need to be answered Toshiro. I refuse to live the rest of my life wondering why my ex cheated on me and cut all ties with me."

Toshiro groaned and rubbed his face. He gazed at Ichigo solemnly and then examined the letter in his hand, his ice blue eyes narrowed. For a moment, Ichigo was scared that Toshiro was going to rip up the letter, and prepared to jump at him.

To his surprise, Toshiro sighed and handed the letter to Ichigo. Ichigo took the letter and realized that his hands had been shaking.

"If you get sued," Toshiro said. "It's on you, not me."

Ichigo smirked. "I know." Ichigo tucked the letter in his pocket and began walking out with Toshiro. "Are you going to tell Rangiku and Kenpachi?"

Toshiro shrugged. "If you don't mind…"

"You can tell them," Ichigo said. "Oh, and by the way, I'm not having sex with Rukia." 

* * *

><p>Ichigo sat down on the smooth wooden floor of the dance studio. He took the letter out of his pocket and fingered the corner of the paper. After breakfast, Rukia had dashed off somewhere, whispering to Ichigo that she had "things to take care of." Ichigo wasn't sure what Rukia meant, but was glad to have some time to himself. Ichigo was never alone these days. In the morning, he was Toshiro, Kenpachi, and Rangiku. He was with Rukia for most of the day, practicing their routine. In the evening, he was with Urahara.<p>

Ichigo lay down and unfolded the letter. He lifted the white sheet over his face, casting a shadow on him. Ichigo's eyes skimmed the letter…

Something jammed into Ichigo's side. He instinctively cringed as his side throbbed. "OW!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" A familiar voice demanded.

Ichigo blinked and stared at his attacker. It took his mind a moment to process the large violet eyes.

Ichigo rose to his feet, fists balling at his sides. "Did you just _kick_ me?!"

"Serves you right for sleeping," Rukia snapped. "You were supposed to practice on your own!"

"What about you?!" Ichigo shot back. "You showed up late!"

Rukia crossed her arms. "There was something I needed to do."

Before Ichigo could come up with a witty comeback, Rukia glanced back at the entrance.

"You guys can come out now," Rukia called. "I'm done playing cat and mouse."

Silence. Ichigo wondered if Rukia had taken too many pills.

Rukia smirked. "Don't be scared, I don't bite."

"Actually-" Ichigo began.

All of a sudden, Ichigo heard anxious whispering. One voice was deep while the others were more high pitched. Ichigo couldn't make out what they were saying, but knew they were arguing.

Ichigo frowned. "If you guys don't come out now, then I'm just going to have to come over."

The whispering ceased. Just as Ichigo was about to march over, one of the stalkers fell forward.

"AHHH!"

Ichigo's jaw went slack. "T-Toshiro?!"

A very flustered Toshiro scrabbled on the slippery floor. "K-Kenpachi, you're gonna pay!"

Kenpachi and Rangiku entered the studio. Kenpachi was dying of laughter while Rangiku grinned sheepishly at Ichigo.

"They're the things I needed to take care of," Rukia said cooly. Amusement flickered in her eyes briefly.

Like Toshiro, Ichigo was not amused.

"Why were you eavesdropping on us!" Ichigo's words sounded like a statement more than a question. Ichigo hated when people stuck their noses in his business.

"Sorry, Ichigo," Rangiku said, blushing. "We were just…curious…you and Kuchiki are always er, _sneaking off_…and Kenpachi jumped to conclusions…then Toshiro told us you two weren't…you know…_doing the do_…"

Ichigo flushed. He knew Rangiku's hesitancy was deliberate, an attempt to win his forgiveness. It didn't work, but Rangiku had a knack for throwing guys off-guard with her big blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, and full lips.

"Well, um…" Ichigo stammered.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be dancing," Rukia interjected. Her statement seemed to be directed at Rangiku more than Kenpachi and Toshiro.

Rangiku seemed to have felt that way too. "I gathered that much," she said stiffly.

"What's your definition of _dancing_?" Kenpachi inquired with a perverted grin. Toshiro glared at him.

Ichigo sighed. He probably should've told them what he and Rukia were doing. "Look, guys…" Ichigo began. He explained everything to them: the dance tournament, his deal with Rukia, Orihime, Urahara's approval.

Toshiro seemed too shocked for words. Rangiku had made "aww" sounds the whole time. Kenpachi was laughing.

"You, _dancing_ with Kuchiki!" Kenpachi was smacking the floor. "You going to salsa dance?"

"No we're not," Rukia said coldly. Kenpachi shut up.

"So um, yeah we're going to have to practice now," Ichigo said. "I'll see you guys later."

Toshiro was still silent as he got up and walked out with Rangiku by his side. Rangiku winked at Ichigo and sang, "Try not to fall in _luuurve _with Kuchiki!" Ichigo ignored her comment while Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what Rangiku's talking about," Kenpachi muttered. "It's a miracle that Ichigo is even still alive!"

And idea popped in Ichigo's head. "Hey, Kenpachi! Do you know what girls _really_ love?"

Kenpachi's face lit up. "Anal?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Even more."

Kenpachi thought for a moment. "Oral?"

"Eh, close but not quite," Ichigo said. He lifted up his letter and shook it gently. "Girls love the old-fashioned way of doing it. Write Unohana a love letter!"

"Ohh," Kenpachi said. "I'm practically illiterate though, so you're gonna have to be my editor."

"No problem," Ichigo said as Kenpachi ran to catch up with Toshiro and Rangiku. When they were out of earshot, Ichigo asked, "So what exactly were you doing with them?"

"Oh." Rukia chuckled. "I noticed they were following us, so I decided to run around Las Noches."

"And you knew they were going to follow you?"

Rukia stretched her arms. "I think they thought I was hiding a grenade somewhere."

Ichigo smirked. "Can't blame them." He handed the letter to Rukia. "Anyways, I finished the letter. Give it to Orihime as soon as possible." Ichigo paused. "Thank you, by the way."

"No problem," Rukia responded and took the letter. As soon as the letter left Ichigo's hand, he suddenly felt a twinge of regret. Was the letter ready to be delivered? Ichigo thought it was fine this morning, but now all the sentences seemed incoherent and weird.

As if reading his mind, Rukia said, "There's no need to worry, Ichigo. I'm sure the letter was written beautifully."

"Really?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia smiled. "Now, where did we leave off last time?" 

* * *

><p>Ichigo and Urahara sat across from each other without saying a word. The only sound in the room was the crackling of fire. It was December now, and Urahara had decided to use his fireplace. Ichigo stared blankly at the dancing flames.<p>

Finally, Urahara said something. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Ichigo hesitated. "I finished my letter."

"Oh?"

Ichigo nodded. "I gave it to Rukia today. She's going to deliver it when she sees Orihime."

"And what if she doesn't?"

"She will," Ichigo said firmly.

Urahara leaned back in his chair. "Christmas is just around the corner."

"I know."

"Are you going to go home on Christmas, or would you like to stay at Las Noches?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'd like to go home." Ichigo glanced at Urahara hopefully. "Am I allowed to?"

"Most patients are allowed to celebrate with their family," Urahara said. "I think your healthy enough to go home for the holidays."

Ichigo bit his lip to keep himself from smiling. "What do you mean by 'healthy enough?'"

"You've gotten better at controlling your emotions," Urahara said. He was jotting something down on his notepad. "Much better…"

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Ichigo said. "What exactly do you write down every time we meet each other?"

"Stuff," Urahara replied.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What kind of stuff?"

"You don't need to know." Urahara placed his notepad on his lap. "Now tell me more about your day."

As Ichigo discussed about today's practice, he eyed the notepad on Urahara's lap and tried to read its contents. But Urahara quickly placed his hand on it.

"Oh would you look at the time!" Urahara said. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Good night, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's hand twitched. He was beginning to notice that Urahara had stopped addressing him as "Mr. Kurosaki." Though Ichigo didn't like formalities, he didn't want Urahara to speak to him as if they were friends. Even after over a month, Ichigo still didn't like Urahara.

"Night," Ichigo mumbled and walked out. Sure enough, Unohana was standing outside.

"Ready to go?" Unohana said cheerily.

"Yeah," Ichigo said. Unohana smiled and placed her hand on his back, leading him to the elevator. "You don't have to walk with me."

"I know you can take care of yourself," Unohana said. "But it's my job to accompany you."

"I know, I know," Ichigo replied. "I'm just saying."

"How was your session with Dr. Urahara?"

Ichigo frowned. "He doesn't tell me anything."

"Like what?"

"Like what he notices about me," Ichigo said. "Occasionally he'll say I'm recovering, but I don't know what I did to make him say that."

"Dr. Urahara's always been like that," Unohana said. "He's secretive, but he means well."

"I don't like him," Ichigo admitted.

Unohana giggled. "He's the type of person you have to get used to first." Unohana began telling stories about Urahara's old patients. Some of them were extremely relatable but otherwise, Ichigo couldn't care less about Urahara's social life.

"We're here!" Unohana said as they stopped at Ichigo's room. Unohana scanned the hallway. "Good night…Ichigo."

Without thinking, Ichigo said, "Night, mom." Ichigo was just as surprised as Unohana.

Unohana laughed. "Don't be embarrassed, you're not the first person to call me that."

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled. "Well…see ya tomorrow." He entered his room and shut the door as quick as possible. He sensed Unohana linger for a few seconds before walking away. Ichigo slowly sat down and buried his face in his hands.

Ichigo had the most bizarre dream that night. He was standing on the edge of a mountain shirtless and wore a turban. In front of him was a cobra that kept hissing his name as Ichigo did some sort of cobra dance.

"Psst, Ichigo! Ichigo!" The cobra sounded suspiciously like Rukia. "Ichigo, wake up!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. Brown eyes met with violet eyes.

Ichigo jerked. "WHA-"

Rukia slapped her hand over Ichigo's mouth and hissed, "Shhh! Do you want to get us in trouble?"

Ichigo pointed at Rukia and slowly sat up, shakily asking, "You…what are you doing in my room?"

Rukia sat on Ichigo's bed and smirked. "You want to know what Urahara thinks of you?"

Ichigo blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard you talking with Unohana," Rukia answered.

Ichigo's mind clicked. "Nice of you to say hi," he said dryly.

Rukia ignored him. "I can help you."

"But why?" Ichigo said. "You're already delivering the letter to Orihime for me. You don't need to do more."

Rukia shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm actually going to have a lot of fun sneaking into Urahara's office."

"Sn-SNEA-" Rukia grabbed Ichigo in a headlock before he could finish. Next to them, Toshiro snored and rolled in his bed.

"Idiot, keep your mouth shut!" Rukia hissed. She released Ichigo, who rubbed his neck. Ichigo watched as Rukia made her way out. She stopped and turned around. "Are you coming or not?"

"This isn't a smart idea," Ichigo said. Nevertheless, he put his sneakers on and followed Rukia. She stuck her arm out, blocking Ichigo from the door.

"Follow my lead," Rukia whispered. "There are security cameras all over the place." Ichigo stifled a groan.

Rukia cracked open the door and peeked out. After a moment, she sprinted down the dimly lit hallway, her steps barely making a sound, and dived behind a wall.

Ichigo glanced around the hallway and sure enough, saw a black camera hanging on the ceiling. It was moving around every few seconds and when the lens pointed away from Rukia, she ushered Ichigo to join her.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo dashed to Rukia. Each step was heavy, and made the hallway sound as if an earthquake was taking place.

"Try to be more stealthy next time, fat ass!" Rukia said. Ichigo scowled.

Under the lights, Ichigo could see Rukia's attire: a white shirt with a pink cartoon rabbit on it and matching pink pajama shorts.

"Cool outfit," Ichigo drawled and smirked when Rukia rolled her eyes.

The two took the elevator to Urahara's office. As soon as the doors slid open, Rukia ran down the hall with Ichigo tailing her. Suddenly, Rukia slid behind a wall and pulled Ichigo towards her.

They were so close to each other. Ichigo's muscular body was practically pressed against Rukia's petite one. He could feel warmth radiating from Rukia. She smelled faintly of peaches…

Rukia ducked under Ichigo's arm. "A camera nearly capture us," she whispered. She placed her small hand on the wall and looked down both sides of the hall.

Rukia turned to Ichigo. "OK I'm going to unlock Urahara's office."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"You underestimate me," Rukia said. She dashed across the hall and pulled out a bobby pin. Ichigo watched as Rukia began to pick the lock. After about minute or so, Rukia opened the door, glanced around to make sure the coast was clear, and ushered Ichigo inside.

"Don't turn on the lights," Rukia said when Ichigo's hand searched for a light switch. She stuck her hand in her pocket and took out a small flashlight.

"Are there cameras in Urahara's room?" Ichigo asked.

"Even if there were, Urahara wouldn't give two shits." Rukia turned on the flashlight and crept over to a black file cabinet. She opened a drawer, shone the flashlight on the files, and leafed through them.

Ichigo sat down on the patient's chair and looked up at the chandelier. In the dark, the crystals looked like diamonds.

A manilla folder plopped onto Ichigo's lap. "Found it," Rukia said and handed Ichigo the flashlight. Ichigo stared at the folder and slowly opened it. The first thing he saw a cringeworthy picture of himself. Beneath the photo was his name: Kurosaki, Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes skimmed the paper. _Doctor at Kurosaki Clinic…divorced…diagnosed with bipolar disorder…may be suffering from depression…defense mechanisms: denial and repression…_

Ichigo swallowed and closed the folder. "Done already?" Rukia's voice rang in his ears.

"Y-Yeah," Ichigo mumbled and gave the folder and flashlight back to Rukia.

The trip back to their rooms was silent. Rukia may have said something, but Ichigo's mind was too preoccupied with the file.

_May be suffering from depression? Yeah right_. Maybe Ichigo had bipolar disorder, but depression? A lot of shit had happened to him recently, but Ichigo wasn't depressed…

"You know Ichigo, everything Urahara writes about you is just his analysis," Rukia said. "It's not necessarily the truth." Ichigo replied with a grunt.

The two stopped behind a wall. "Ukitake once thought I was a sociopath," Rukia added.

For some reason, this made Ichigo feel slightly better. "Oh yeah? He told you that?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "After what we did tonight, do you seriously think that?"

"I suppose not," Ichigo said. He paused. "Well, are you a sociopath?"

"I've got ninety-nine problems," Rukia said. "Sociopathy isn't one of them." Out of the blue, Rukia smiled and Ichigo's stomach did a flip. "Don't dwell on it, Ichigo. Urahara's opinions may change."

"Did you read what was in the file?" Ichigo asked when they stopped at Rukia's door.

Rukia shook her head. "No. That's your personal life, not mine." She stepped inside her room. She closed the door slightly so that her head could peek out and said, "I promise I won't read your letter too. I'll deliver it as soon as possible."

Ichigo smiled. "You've really done so much for me. Thanks."

Rukia's expression was unreadable as she averted his gaze. "No problem. Well…good night."

Before Ichigo could say the same, Rukia shut the door. Maybe he was tired or just hearing things, but Ichigo thought he could hear faint sobs coming from Rukia's room.


	12. Silver Linings

**I hope you guys like this chapter. It's a bit cheesy but hopefully in a good way.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

Silver Linings

"Every Christmas, Las Noches organizes a-" Rukia made air quotes- "'Christmas Spectacular.' Basically, patients can perform anything for their family and friends as long as it's 'appropriate.'"

Ichigo's heart sank. "You want us to dance, don't you?"

Rukia smirked. "It's good practice for the tournament."

"But we haven't fully decided on our choreography."

"Christmas is two weeks," Rukia said. "And I have a pretty good idea what I want us to do. We're not going to use the same exact routine for the tournament, but it will be similar enough." When Ichigo didn't reply, Rukia added, "We've never danced in front of an audience before. Whatever we do, it will help prepare us for the real deal."

"I don't like getting on stage," Ichigo confessed. He didn't exactly have stage fright, but the thought of dancing in front of many people, and possibly messing up, made him feel uncomfortable. He hated being laughed at.

Rukia placed her hand on Ichigo's arm and said in a surprisingly gentle tone, "As long as you focus on the rhythm, you won't mess up. We have plenty of time to practice, so don't think about the performance too much."

Ichigo stared at Rukia, slightly taken aback by her comforting words. "Yeah…"

Rukia smiled and removed her hand. She pulled out her iPhone. "There's one dance I want us to do for both the Christmas Spectacular and the tournament. Ever watched _Singin' in the Rain_?"

"Er, yeah a long time ago," Ichigo said. "All I remember was that there was a lot of singing."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's what your retain from one of the most famous films of all time? Lots of singing?"

"You're judging me, aren't you?" Ichigo said, smiling.

"Oh I'm judging you alright," Rukia replied with a smirk. She glanced down at her phone and tapped on the YouTube app. "Do you at least remember the songs?"

"No."

Rukia sighed and typed "Moses Supposes" in the search bar. She tapped on the first video that popped up and tilted her phone sideways.

"Pay attention to the dance," Rukia said as the video loaded. She held her phone up higher.

Ichigo leaned forward. Rukia smelled like peaches and he was reminded of their little trip. A few days had passed but the adventure was still fresh in Ichigo's mind. He could easily pull out any moment from his memory file and watch it play like a movie. Ichigo felt something flutter in his stomach when he remembered standing so close to Rukia.

_Concentrate on the video_, Ichigo told himself and pushed the memory away.

Gene Kelly and Donald O' Conner were on top of the desk and banging it like a drum. "_Moses…Moses…Moses_!"

The two actors stood on the desk and began shuffling and windmilling their arms, their tap shoes clicking on every step. They leaped off the desk and shuffled more. The way they swayed their arms and legs reminded Ichigo of an Olympic speed skater.

Rukia paused the video as Kelly and O' Conner twirled. She turned to Ichigo and said, "And that's what we're going to do."

Ichigo stared at Rukia like an extra head sprouted from her. "You actually expect me to learn that in two weeks? Rukia, I'm not that good."

"You're right," Rukia agreed. "That's why we're only going to do snippets of it for Christmas. We're going to do more for the tournament."

"I don't know, Rukia," Ichigo said. "We can barely do the jump-and-catch move-"

"Ichigo," Rukia interrupted. "Do you trust me?"

Ichigo stared into Rukia's violet eyes. The playful glint that had shone in them a few minutes ago was no longer there. Now, they seemed to be piercing into Ichigo's mind.

"I do."

Rukia smirked. "Good." She rewinded the video back a minute. "I was thinking of just doing the part after they jump off the desk."

"You mean when they're swinging their arms and legs?"

Rukia nodded. "I figured that it wouldn't be too difficult to learn, and it looks good when done right."

"I wasn't aware there was a wrong way to swing your arms and legs."

"You'd be surprised," Rukia said with a chuckle. She took a few steps back. "Now try it."

Ichigo leaned forward and swayed his right arm and leg forward while pulling his left arm and leg back. As he swung them back and forth, Rukia studied him with a blank expression.

"You're too tense," Rukia finally said. "Loosen up a bit."

Ichigo stopped. "I thought my arms and legs were supposed to be stiff. That's what Kelly and O'Conner did."

Rukia pursed her lips. "It's hard to explain." She paused, carefully choosing her words. "Your arms and legs were fine, it's just your face and the rest of your body."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "My face?"

"I don't mean it that way," Rukia said quickly. "It's just that dancing is more than just the choreography. You have to be expressive. "Moses Supposes" is a happy song, but you don't seem all happy and energetic, just serious." Rukia paused and slowly added, "Look, how about we don't dance today?"

Ichigo's body felt cold all of a sudden. Was he really that bad? "Rukia, it's fine. I can practice more. I'll try to look less tense."

"No, it's best if we just spend a day not dancing. Take a break, you know?" Before Ichigo could say anything, Rukia continued, "You need to work on expression. I think understanding the songs themselves would help. So for today, we're just going to listen to all the songs we're using. We're not going to even watch the video, just listen."

"Oh." A smile tugged at Ichigo's lips. "So I don't actually suck?"

Rukia gave Ichigo a strange look. "No. You're a lot better than you think." She sat down cross-legged and gestured Ichigo to do the same. As Ichigo sat, Rukia placed her phone in between them.

"Close your eyes," Rukia said. "Don't watch the video." She hit the play button.

Ichigo shut his eyes as the song played.

_"Moses supposes his toeses are Roses,_

_But Moses supposes Erroneously,_

_Moses he knowses his toeses aren't roses,_

_As Moses supposes his toeses to be!_

_Moses supposes his toeses are Roses,_

_But Moses supposes Erroneously,_

_A mose is a mose!_

_A rose is a rose!_

_A toes is a toes!"_

The song was catchy, but too cheery for Ichigo, and even the routine Rukia was thinking of doing. Ichigo wondered if they were just using the dance, and not the song and decided he would ask Rukia later.

The song came to an end and Ichigo opened his eyes.

"Not yet," Rukia said and played another song. Ichigo shut his eyes.

Ichigo immediately heard the soothing notes of an alto saxophone, ranging from low to high. Drums and a piano played softly in the background.

Ichigo didn't know why, but he slowly opened his eyes. Rukia still had hers closed and was gently bobbing her head. She looked so at ease, just like the time Rukia fell asleep on Ichigo's lap. How long ago was that anyway?

The song was still playing, but Rukia was opening her eyes now. She seemed to have sensed Ichigo staring at her. Instead of looking annoyed, Rukia held Ichigo's gaze.

Her violet eyes wore an unreadable expression. They often did, Ichigo was starting to realize. Why, and how? Rukia was able to read him like a book, no matter how hard Ichigo tried to hide his emotions. But he couldn't do the same for her. Her eyes that glowed with intelligence always showed that Rukia _was_ feeling something, but _what_ she was feeling was difficult to decipher. It was as if she built a cage around her heart. Why? Why so hostile to everyone? Why so…alone? Not necessarily lonely, just alone. Always sitting by herself, doing things by herself, even sleeping by herself. Ichigo remembered the night they broke into Urahara's office. She seemed fine when they separated, but she cried as soon as she shut her door.

For the first time in his life, Ichigo wanted to reach out to someone. Not to comfort them or anything, just understand.

Rukia looked down and Ichigo blinked. "Song's over," she murmured. "Close your eyes, I'm playing the next one."

Rukia shut her eyes immediately as the next song played. Ichigo watched her for a second before closing his own.

Just before Rukia closed her eyes, Ichigo saw the tiniest flicker of pain. 

* * *

><p>"You seem happy today," Urahara said without looking at Ichigo.<p>

"What makes you say that?" Ichigo asked.

"I have an antenna under my hat," Urahara said. "I can detect anyone's emotions if they're within a five feet radius."

Ichigo crossed one leg over the other. "Well, you're right about me being happy. Rukia and I are almost finished with our routine." A few days had passed since Ichigo and Rukia listened to the songs. Rukia turned out to be right; listening to the songs helped Ichigo dance more expressively. To Ichigo's surprise, he was finding himself looking forward to practice.

"You two going to perform for the Christmas Spectacular?" Urahara asked.

"Rukia wants us to."

"Do you?"

"I'd rather not," Ichigo admitted. "But Rukia's the boss."

Urahara placed his notepad aside. _That's weird_, Ichigo thought. Urahara never let go of that thing.

"The routine you're using for the Christmas Spectacular," Urahara said. "Is it going to be the same as the one you're doing for the tournament?"

"Rukia said it will be similar but not exactly the same," Ichigo answered, staring at the notepad. He could see words on the paper, but Urahara's handwriting wasn't very neat. "I think she wants a more complicated routine for the tournament."

Urahara smirked. "Wanna give me a little spoiler?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Urahara gestured at an empty space. "Dance for me."

"What? Hell no!" For some reason, Ichigo was smiling. "You're just going to have to wait."

Urahara pouted. "Meanie."

"Well it's fair that way."

"No one said life was fair," Urahara pointed out. He picked up his notepad. "So why are you so happy?"

Ichigo cocked his head. "I already told you."

Urahara shook his head. "That's only a part of the reason. There's more to it, I can tell."

"No I'm pretty sure there's not," Ichigo said.

"How do you feel about living here?" Urahara asked. "Do you still hate being here?"

Ichigo looked up at the chandelier. Each jewel twinkled in the golden light. "I still wish I were at home, but I don't hate living here anymore."

"That's good," Urahara said.

Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "Living here has actually made me realize something."

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Ichigo glanced back at Urahara. "I was never really an optimistic guy. I thought that if you always stayed super positive, reality would hit you hardest. So for the majority of my life, I would tell myself, "if you can't do this, you can't do that. You'll fail everyone," and whenever I failed, I would dwell on it for days. I remember this one time, Uryu and I got into a huge fight and I blamed myself for it. Chad had to literally throw me at a wall in order to cheer me up." Ichigo looked back up at the chandelier. Was it just him, or was the light glowing brighter than usual? "My old of thinking got me helped me succeed financially, but despite everything I had, I was never _truly_ happy. I couldn't let go of things in the past."

"And now?" Urahara asked.

Ichigo looked at Urahara and smiled. "And now, I realize that you have to do everything you can and if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining."

"That's beautiful," Urahara said sincerely. "Really, Ichigo I'm impressed. Dancing with Miss Kuchiki made you realize that?"

Ichigo nodded. "Rukia told me a long time ago that dancing helped her release her emotions. I guess she felt…free. I didn't get it then but I'm starting to."

"I'm glad, Ichigo," Urahara said. "You seem to know your way forward."

Ichigo shrugged. "I don't know about _that_, but," a smile tugged Ichigo's lips. "I feel different. I'm still Kurosaki Ichigo, but I feel like a different person at the same time."

Urahara smiled. "Well, whoever you are now, I'm rooting for you." Before Ichigo could say something, Urahara said, "Time's up! Goodbye and good night!"

"Night," Ichigo mumbled and rose to his feet. He walked to the door, pondering Urahara's words. _I'm rooting for you_.

Ichigo stopped and glanced back. "Urahara, thank you."

Urahara tipped his striped hat, revealing his dusty blonde head. "My pleasure." 

* * *

><p>"I don't know why, but we always have so much trouble with the jump-and-catch move," Rukia said as she walked across the studio. She bent down slightly, placing her hands on her knees as if unable to stand, and stared at Ichigo. "I'm not that heavy, right?"<p>

"You weigh like five pounds," Ichigo said.

Rukia smiled. "That's what every girl likes to hear." Her eyes suddenly widened and her back straightened. "Oh, I almost forgot! I gave Inoue the letter this morning."

Ichigo had expected to feel a lot of things: anxiety, shock, relieved, glad…anything except hollow. He raised an eyebrow. "This morning? Nice of you to tell me earlier."

"Sorry but you were derping around with Rangiku, Toshiro, and Kenpachi," Rukia snapped. "What were you guys doing anyway? Hunting for prepubescent boys?"

"We were helping Kenpachi give Unohana a letter," Ichigo said without skipping a beat. "Unohana is constantly trying to avoid Kenpachi, so Rangiku, Toshiro, and I had to corner her."

Rukia snorted. "How'd that go?"

"She yelled at Kenpachi a bit," Ichigo said. "But she took the letter. Don't know what she did with it though."

"What did Kenpachi even write?"

"_I_ wrote a poem," Ichigo said.

Rukia half smiled. "_You_ wrote a love letter to Unohana? What did you even write? 'Your perpetual smiles turn me on?'"

"Kenpachi just told me what he wanted to say," Ichigo said. "Of course, had to censor a lot of it, but it came out fine. Anyways, so you gave me letter to Orihime today?"

The truth was that the letter had slipped from Ichigo's mind. He was so focused on the dance tournament, that he had nearly forgotten the deal he made with Rukia.

"Yeah, I did," Rukia said. "She was reluctant at first, but she took it."

"OK," Ichigo said, no longer feeling hollow. Ichigo couldn't put his finger on this new emotion. He was definitely relieved Orihime accepted the letter, but also anxious. Did she read it already? Or was she reading it at this very moment? Ichigo felt a stab of guilt for his initial reaction.

"Thank you, so much. I'm sorry I sounded ungrateful before. I was just-"

"Surprised?" Rukia interrupted. "It's fine. I would've reacted similarly."

Ichigo rubbed his face. "You're really too good for me, Rukia. I don't know how you've been able to tolerate me."

Rukia sniffed. "Yeah yeah. Anyways, let's continue where we left off."

"Right." Ichigo tensed as Rukia charged at him. She jumped up, and Ichigo grabbed her waist.

His step back was meant to keep his balance. Instead, Ichigo fell backward and his head slammed against the wooden floor. Ichigo groaned. His vision blurred, so he shook his head a few times.

That was when he realized that Rukia was on top of him, with her face only inches away from his.

Ichigo stared into Rukia's violet eyes that stood out like vibrant flowers in the moon of her face. They regarded him with an emotion Ichigo hadn't seen before. Whatever it was, it made something in Ichigo's stomach flutter. Her peach scent wafted in his nose, clouding his thoughts and intoxicating him. He could hear and feel Rukia's heart racing under her black cotton shirt…or maybe it was his own.

Ichigo didn't know how long they lay there. The moment seemed to stretch on for hours, days, months, years, an eternity. But as soon as Rukia hastily got up, staring at the floor and mumbling something Ichigo couldn't hear, the moment seemed to have ended as quickly as it begun.

Ichigo sat up and watched Rukia. She was still staring at the floor, her cheeks slightly red. They sat together in silence.

Rukia glanced back at Ichigo with a quizzical expression. She looked like a child, so unsure about the world.

"Um, I have to go," Rukia suddenly said in an unnaturally high voice. She gathered her belongings and sprinted out of the studio.

Ichigo stared at the door for a moment before lying back down and wondering what the hell just happened.


	13. Tis the Season

**SORRY AGAIN for the late update. I promise I won't give up on this story**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

'Tis the Season

Christmas morning. Everyone was sitting in the common room chatting animatedly, their hands clasped around cups of hot chocolate. Their conversations were inaudible, as "Jingle Bell Rock" was playing. The whole room was decorated beautifully. Christmas lights and wreaths were hanging on the walls. Standing at the corner of the room was a Douglas Fir tree with ornaments that twinkled under the light. On top of the tree was a golden star.

For once, Las Noches didn't feel like a hospital for crazy people. The festive song and decorations and the air which smelled faintly of pine and cinnamon brought a smile to everyone's faces. Well, almost everyone.

"Ichigo, calm down. You look like you're going to piss yourself," Rukia said. Ichigo and Rukia were standing by a small stage set up at the front of the room. She nodded at a few other people, who were also going to perform. They were talking as if they didn't have a care in the world.

"_They're_ not nervous, so I don't understand why you are," Rukia said.

"_They're_ not nervous because their performance isn't that complicated," Ichigo pointed out. "They all signed up as a joke."

"Well there's still no need for _you_ to be nervous." Rukia dug into her purse and took out a silver compact mirror.

As she examined her reflection, Ichigo said, "Your makeup's fine, Rukia." Rukia was wearing dark lipstick and silver eyeliner that made her violet orbs stand out even more. Her attire consisted of a black crop top, leggings, and dance shoes. It was so simple, yet it made Rukia look beautiful in a sort of punk rock way.

Ichigo, meanwhile, was wearing a black linen shirt and pants. Rukia had said he looked good, but Ichigo still felt awkward.

Rukia tucked her mirror back into her purse. When she glanced at Ichigo, her lips became a straight line.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

Before Rukia could say something, a deep voice said behind him, "Merry Christmas, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo whirled around and saw Sosuke Aizen smiling at him. "M-Merry Christmas," he said. He mentally cursed himself for stuttering.

"Lovely morning today, isn't it?" Aizen said. His tone was casual, but something about his voice also told people that he was not to be taken lightly. "This could be the best Christmas we've had in a while."

"Maybe," Ichigo said. "I wouldn't know."

"Ah yes, it's your first Christmas here," Aizen's eyes trailed down Ichigo and Rukia's outfits. "Yet, you're performing in the Christmas Spectacular? How bold of you. You too, Miss Kuchiki. You've been here for a while but not once have you signed up for this."

"Things change," Rukia said. Ichigo was surprised at the venom oozing out of Rukia's voice.

"That is true," Aizen said, amusement flickering in his brown eyes.

Ichigo studied Rukia's face. She looked as if she wanted to claw out Aizen's voice box.

To his relief, Unohana walked up to them. "Mr. Aizen, the show is about to begin."

"Is it? Then I must go take a seat." Aizen nodded at Ichigo and Rukia. "I'm looking forward to your performance. Break a leg."

As Aizen walked to a chair labeled "Reserved," Ichigo glanced back at Rukia. Murder was still written all over her face.

"Rukia-"

"Isn't that your family?" Rukia interrupted and pointed at Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu. The three of them waved at Ichigo. To Ichigo's horror, Isshin held up a video camera.

"Fuck, if he records our dance I'm going to-"

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Unohana said into a microphone. "And welcome to Las Noches' Christmas Spectacular!"

Unohana began talking about how the Christmas Spectacular was established. Ichigo could tell from the tired look on everyone's faces that they had heard this _many_ times. Ichigo scanned the crowd and saw Toshiro, his wife Momo, Kenpachi, and Rangiku sitting in the third row.

"For our first performance, we have Gantenbainne Mosqueda!"

A dark skinned man with a giant afro marched onto the stage in a gaudy white suit. Around his neck was a giant golden $.

"Yo yo yo alllll youuu suckah MCs ain't got nothing on me..."

"When are we going?" Ichigo whispered to Rukia. Behind them, the other performers were snickering at Gantenbainne's atrocious rapping.

"After Gantenbainne," Rukia replied.

"The G is silent when I sneak through your door, and make love to your woman on the bathroom floor..."

"You know this rap sounds kinda familiar," Ichigo said.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "You know, you have an awful memory."

"Ughhh Kevin Geee," Gantenbainne moaned

"That's enough Kevin!" Someone from the crowd yelled.

"Happy Holidays everybody," Gantenbainne said, waving at the crowd. A few people booed.

"Ah that was...nice...Mr. Mosqueda," Unohana said as she took the microphone from him. "Now, for our next performance we have Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo swallowed as he and Rukia walked onto the stage, the audience clapping politely. He stifled a groan as Toshiro, Kenpachi, and Rangiku whipped out their phones with giant grins on their faces.

_Lord help me_. Ichigo thought as the first song played... 

* * *

><p>Rukia twirled into Ichigo's arms and the two of them whipped their heads back. The song ended in that moment and the two partners stayed in that position for a few moments while the audience clapped. Ichigo let Rukia go. To his surprise, Rukia took his hand when they bowed. Her hand was soft, just like Orihime's, but different at the same time. Without thinking, Ichigo squeezed it slightly. Maybe his peripheral vision was fooling him, but Rukia's eyes seemed to glow brighter when he did that.<p>

"ICHIGO MY ONLY SON! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!" Isshin cried when Ichigo and Rukia walked off the stage. Karin and Yuzu hugged Ichigo.

"YES ICHIGO! YES!" Kenpachi hollered. "YOU SLAYED IT!"

"That was good, Ichigo," Toshiro agreed. "I was surprised."

"Einstein had very low expectations," Rangiku teased. "I kept telling him he was too pessimistic, but he kept insisting that he was being realistic."

Toshiro flushed. "I had _some_ faith in him!"

Ichigo laughed. "It's fine, Toshiro. I was surprised myself." Ichigo nodded at Momo and extended his hand. "I don't think we've officially met before. I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo."

"Hitsugaya, Momo," Momo chirped and took his hand.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see Rukia walking away. Ichigo grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"This is Kuchiki, Rukia," Ichigo said. Rukia glared at him.

"Ah, so this is Miss Kuchiki." Isshin's eyes twinkled. "Ichigo has talked about you several times."

Ichigo winced. "_Dad_!"

"Oh really?" Rukia said, raising her eyebrow. "What has he said about me?"

Isshin snickered. "That you're so _beautiful_ and _smart_ and that you two are going to get married and have lots of bab-"

Ichigo smacked Isshin's head. "He's joking," he assured Rukia. "My dad wants grandkids really bad, so he wants me to get with any girl I talk to."

Isshin whimpered. "You never had kids with 'Hime, Ichigo! I want to be a grandfather before I die."

"Well I'm getting married soon," Yuzu assured him. "So don't worry."

"That's true," Isshin said. He whirled on Karin. "And what about you? I don't see you with anyone."

But Karin wasn't paying attention to Isshin. Her dark eyes were fixed on something else. _Or someone else_, Ichigo thought with horror. Karin was staring at Toshiro wistfully. Out of all the words to describe Karin, "wistful" had never been one of them.

"You're Toshiro, right?" Karin asked.

Toshiro blinked. "Yeah. And you're Karin?"

"Yeah." Karin's cheeks turned slightly pink, which did not settle well with Ichigo. Momo's narrowed eyes didn't help much.

"Kurosaki, Ichigo." Aizen's voice caught Ichigo by surprise. "Congratulations on your fine performance."

"Thank you," Ichigo said tightly. He hated the effect Aizen's presence had on him.

"You and Miss Kuchiki are a rather...effective team," Aizen said and smiled.

"I'm flattered you think that," Rukia said. There was a hint of a snarl in her voice.

Aizen chuckled and glanced at his watch. "I'd love to stay and chat, but there are people I must see. Merry Christmas." He nodded at everyone and walked off.

"Well that was weird," Kenpachi said.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia. There it was again, that burning fire that was ready to consume everything in its path. Aizen didn't emit a good vibe, but the amount of hatred in Rukia's eyes disturbed Ichigo.

Someone raised a small paper bag up to Ichigo's face. Ichigo turned and saw Toshiro smiling at him.

"Merry Christmas, Ichigo," Toshiro said.

Ichigo took the bag from Toshiro. Inside was red and green shredded paper. Ichigo stuck his hand in and took out a DVD case with a smirking Leo DiCaprio on the cover.

"_In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. 'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had,_'" Toshiro recited. He smiled. "Remember our conversation about _The Great Gatsby_?"

Ichigo smiled. "That was our very first one. How could I forget?"

"If you did, I would've smacked you," Toshiro said. "Anyways, you better watch that movie and tell me if it ruined the book for you."

"I definitely will," Ichigo replied. "Thank you, Toshiro."

"I got you something, too!" Rangiku said. She dug into her purse and pulled out a pink envelope.

"_To Strawberry_?" Rukia read and smirked. "Aw how cute, she even put strawberry stickers on it."

"Shut up," Ichigo said as he took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a card with a snowman and a rabbit. The carrot meant to be the snowman's nose was located in what was probably his groin. The rabbit was staring at the carrot and saying, "Would it be weird if I ate that?"

Ichigo chuckled and opened the card. Inside were two gift cards: iTunes and Barnes & Noble.

"The Barnes & Noble one is from me," Rangiku said. "The iTunes one is from Kenpachi."

"You're welcome," Kenpachi said with a giant grin.

"Wow thanks guys." Ichigo glanced back at Isshin. "I actually got something for all of you, too. Dad?"

Isshin shifted his body, beads of sweat rolling down his face. "Well, uh, you know it's Christmas. I-I was really excited to see you again and I uh..."

"_You left the gifts at home_?"

"It completely slipped from my mind," Isshin sputtered.

Ichigo slapped his forehead. "I should've known this was going to happen." He turned to Kenpachi, Toshiro, and Rangiku. "Sorry guys. Your presents are gonna arrive a little late."

"It's fine, Ichigo," Toshiro said sincerely. Rangiku and Kenpachi nodded but they looked a bit peeved.

"Shiro-chan, we should go now," Momo said. "The drive to mother's place is a few hours from here and you know how crazy she is with tardiness."

Toshiro groaned. "Don't remind me. Well, Merry Christmas guys! I'll see you after a couple of weeks."

"Merry Christmas," Ichigo said as the couple walked away. Karin looked crestfallen.

"I should go too," Rangiku said. "I also have relatives that are OCD when it comes to time. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Ichigo nodded at Kenpachi. "What about you? Are you going anywhere?"

Kenpachi shook his head. "Nah. According to my therapist, I'm too dangerous to be released into the wilderness."

"So you're just going to celebrate Christmas in Las Noches?"

"That's the plan," Kenpachi said. "Don't look at me like that, Ichigo. I'm fine staying here."

Ichigo said nothing, wondering how much of Kenpachi's words were true. Not many others were staying in Las Noches as far as Ichigo was concerned. Even Unohana wasn't going to be sticking around. Kenpachi was going to be alone, probably locked in his room watching Netflix for all of winter break.

"We better go now too," Isshin said. "Jinta's coming over, so we got to prepare all the food."

"Right," Ichigo said. "Well, Merry Christmas Kenpachi."

"Merry Christmas!" Kenpachi said and slapped Ichigo's shoulder hard, making him wince. "I'll see ya after break. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go give Unohana the card I made her."

As Kenpachi shoved himself through the mass of patients, Ichigo turned to where Rukia was standing. She wasn't there.

Glancing around the room, Ichigo could see Rukia walking out of the common room. Ichigo ran after her and took her hand. Rukia gasped in surprise as her head snapped up at him.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked.

"Back to my room," Rukia said cooly. "I don't have anyone to spend Christmas with, so I'm just gonna stay in Las Noches."

"No you're not," Ichigo said. "You're going to come home with me." Ichigo's words surprised him just as much as Rukia. Where the hell did that come from?

"And why should I?" Rukia asked.

"Cause Kenpachi is staying here." Ichigo let go of Rukia. "Kenpachi is going to spend Christmas here alone, and there's nothing I can do about that. But you're different. You're allowed outside so I'd feel pretty damn guilty if I'm at home and you've got nowhere to go."

"So you're asking me out of pity?" Rukia's tone was sour.

"I'm asking you as a friend," Ichigo said. "Will you come home with me?"

Rukia turned her head away, so Ichigo couldn't see her expression. She was silent for what felt like hours. For a moment, Ichigo was convinced Rukia was going to make a snarky comment and march off. But the snarky remark never came.

Instead, Rukia looked back up at Ichigo and said, "We're going to have to sign a few papers. And I need to get some stuff from my room."

Ichigo was too surprised to say anything, so he smiled instead and Rukia smiled back. 

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm actually here," Rukia said as Ichigo led her to the dining room. As expected, Isshin had decorated the whole house more than he needed to. Tiny Christmas trees, wreaths, stockings, and every other Christmas decoration were in every room. Ichigo had to stay alert for tiny mistletoes. No way was he going to kiss anyone.<p>

"I can't either," Ichigo admitted. He pulled a chair from the table. "You can sit here. I'll be in the kitchen."

"I can help too," Rukia said.

"It's fine," Ichigo said. "You're our guest, just sit here and I'll be back soon."

While Rukia took a seat, Ichigo walked into the kitchen. The smell of cooking food made Ichigo's mouth water.

"Why aren't you with Rukia?" Karin asked while passing Yuzu some herbs. Yuzu sprinkled them on the ham.

"I thought I'd help you guys."

"You don't know how to cook though," Karin pointed out.

"I've picked up a few tricks when I was with Orihime," Ichigo said with a slight shudder. Orihime wasn't a _bad_ cook per say, but her strange taste in food made her cook weird dishes that made Ichigo gag just thinking about them.

"But you don't usually help with the cooking," Karin said.

"Oh I know why you want to help," Yuzu chirped.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. With a coy smile, Yuzu said, "You're just scared of being alone with Rukia-chan."

Ichigo's jaw dropped open. "WHAT?! I've been alone with her loads of times-"

Karin raised her hand as if to hide her face and groaned. "Please stop talking."

Ichigo flushed. "No no no I didn't mean it in _that_ way. We-we've just hung out a lot. I don't mind being alone with her. I just," Ichigo's voice dropped. "I just missed spending time like this with you two."

For a moment, everything was silent until Yuzu bawled, "Ichi-nii!" She wrapped her arms around Ichigo tightly. Ichigo patted her head and smiled. Even though Yuzu was already engaged, she would always be his little sister.

"Where's dad, by the way?" Ichigo asked.

Karin looked sick. "He's in his room, you know…_doing it_."

Ichigo's face paled. "Oh no." Pushing Yuzu away, Ichigo sprinted up the stairs and barged into Isshin's room.

"Ichigo!" Isshin exclaimed with a goofy grin. "Wanna help me stuff pillows in my suit?"

Every year, Isshin dressed up as Santa and reenacted _A Visit from St. Nicholas_. It was funny when Ichigo was a child, but at this point, it was just plain creepy.

"Dad, you are _not_ doing it tonight," Ichigo said, swiping a pillow from Isshin's hands.

"Why not? I'm sure Jinta-kun and Rukia-chan would love it!" Isshin smiled pervertedly. "Maybe Rukia can sit on my lap and tell me what she wants for Christmas."

Ichigo threw the pillow at Isshin's face. "_You are not doing it tonight_."

Isshin crossed his arms and pouted. "I thought Uryu was supposed to be the party pooper, not you." 

* * *

><p>Snow fell from the night sky like tiny stars onto the ground, which glowed a myriad of colors from the Christmas lights. It was so peaceful and quiet outside, but the inside of Isshin's house was alive with spirit. Everyone laughed and joked as they ate ham, mashed potato, stuffing, apple pie, plum pudding, and custard and drank champagne.<p>

"So Jinta, what kind of movies do you like?" Ichigo asked, half dizzy from all the wine. He had bombarded Jinta with questions all night to see what exactly Yuzu saw in him. Though Ichigo didn't dislike him, he didn't think the red head deserved his sister.

"Action movies," Jinta answered. "Anything with a lot of blood."

"Mhm nice." Ichigo finished his glass and reached out for another bottle.

"I think that's enough for you," Rukia said, moving the bottle aside. "You look like you're ready to pass out."

"I didn't drink that much," Ichigo protested.

"You had three glasses."

"Yeah, not that much."

Rukia laughed. "You're red as a firetruck. I think three glasses is more than enough for you."

"Fine." Ichigo leaned back in his chair and turned his head to Rukia. Rukia had drank even more than he did, but she looked completely sober. "How many glasses did you have exactly?"

"I have a high alcohol tolerance," Rukia said. She glanced at Isshin who was singing, or more accurately, screaming "12 Days of Christmas" at the top of his lungs, his face flushed despite only drinking one glass. "Unlike some people."

Ichigo laughed. It wasn't really that funny, but he was in such a good mood and not just because of the alcohol.

Ichigo gazed around the table. Karin was tucking into a slice of pie, looking very annoyed at Isshin's obnoxious singing while Jinta and Yuzu were kissing. Under different circumstances, Ichigo would've been bothered to see Yuzu kissing someone, but now he didn't mind at all.

Rukia suddenly stood up. "Are we going to sit here all night, or are you going to show me your room?"

"You're straightforward," Ichigo remarked and got up. His body tipped back slightly.

"You OK?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo shook his head vigorously to help clear his mind. "Yeah I'm fine. Now let's go."

Ichigo took Rukia's hand and led her up the stairs. It was weird how natural this felt. Ichigo could never forget the first time he held Orihime's hand or hung out alone with her in his room. His hands were sweaty both times.

_Well this isn't my first time holding Rukia's hand. And I was young back then. Wait, why am I even comparing Rukia to Orihime? _Pushing the thought aside, Ichigo opened the door to his room. "Ta-da!"

His room looked the same as it did the last time Ichigo saw it: bed fixed, desk next to it, the small walk-in closet Ichigo used to hide in as a child. Ichigo felt a wave of nostalgia as a memory played out before him.

_"Mhm, I wonder where Ichigo could've gone? Maybe not in this closet? Oh there you are!"_

"Wow, you're room is so cozy," Rukia said, bringing Ichigo back to the present. "I like it."

Ichigo let go of Rukia's hand, surprised at the reluctancy he felt, and sat on his bed. The mattress sank under his weight. "Thanks, I like it too. I assume your room was much more grand?"

"It was so big, I was scared of getting lost in it," Rukia admitted.

Ichigo smiled at the thought of a young Rukia huddling in the corner of the room. "You still scared of that?"

Rukia rolled her eyes and sat down next to him. "Sure."

Ichigo gazed at Rukia. Normally, he didn't like it when other people sat on his bed. Orihime used to be the only person who was allowed to. Now...

"That was a nice dinner, by the way," Rukia said. She paused. "I'm…I'm glad I came."

Ichigo blinked. "Thanks. Yuzu's cooking never fails to satisfy." It was only after the words came out did he fully understand what Rukia said. _I'm glad I came_.

_I'm glad you came too_.

"I have something for you, actually," Rukia added. She stuck her hand in the bag she brought and pulled out a large, leather book with the title printed in gold.

Ichigo gaped at it. "That's…that's…"

"The new edition of _Works of William Shakespeare_," Rukia said with a smirk. "You're welcome."

Ichigo took the book and fingered the title. "This is beautiful, Rukia. How'd you know?"

"I told you, I'm psychic."

Smiling, Ichigo placed the book on his desk and walked over to the closet. "I have something for you too." He took out a large stuffed animal.

The look on Rukia's face was priceless. She looked like a five year old going to Disney for the first time. "That's Chappy the Rabbit!"

Ichigo gave the pink bunny to Rukia, who squealed and buried her face in the soft toy. "Rabbits are my favorite animals of all time. How'd you know?"

Ichigo smirked as he recalled the rabbit stickers on her laptop, the rabbit print t-shirt she wore when they snuck into Urahara's office. "I'm psychic."

Rukia looked up at Ichigo with a giggle. "Thank you, Ichigo."

"No problem," Ichigo replied. "You've really helped me so-"

"ICHIGOOO!" Ichigo whirled around and saw Isshin, Yuzu, Jinta, and Karin standing by the door. Isshin was giggling like a five year old.

Ichigo stifled a groan. "What now, old man?"

"Well, in case you brought back a girl…" Isshin pointed his finger up.

Suddenly feeling very nervous, Ichigo slowly looked up and saw to his horror, tiny mistletoes hanging all over his ceiling. How the actual fuck did he not notice them before?

"You know the rules, Ichigo," Isshin said slyly. "Now kiss!"

Ichigo turned to Rukia, whose expression was unreadable. Sighing, Ichigo leaned forward.

Something vibrated in Ichigo's pocket. Pulling away, not sure relieved or disappointed, Ichigo took out his phone. Behind him, Ichigo could hear Isshin banging his head against the wall.

Ichigo brought his phone to his ear. "What Toshiro?"

Toshiro responded so loudly that Ichigo nearly dropped his phone. "IT'S A BOY!"

It took Ichigo a long moment to understand what his roommate said. "Oh my god, Toshiro congratulations!"

Isshin was still banging his head while Yuzu tried to comfort him. Karin and Jinta just stared at them. Ichigo turned to Rukia. She was smiling. Ichigo didn't know why, but he smiled back anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>Damn this chapter made me wish it was Christmas. What did you guys think?<strong>


	14. Winter Wonderland

**Another chapter! This one has a lot of fluff in it.**

**Btw, Silent Hero 13- nothing will happen between Toshiro and Karin. That scene for Karin was more of a "oh no he's hot" sort of moment. This story doesn't need any more adultery lol. Now on with the story!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

Winter Wonderland

Ichigo's head was killing him.

The orange head rolled onto his side and rubbed his temple. Next to his bed was a familiar looking desk. A small closet was up ahead.

Ichigo blinked. He was in the room he slept in for his childhood and teenage years. Ichigo shot up and scratched his head. Why was he here and not at Las Noches? Then he remembered that it was Christmas break; he would be at Isshin's house for the next two weeks.

Ichigo rubbed his temple again. He had drank too much alcohol the night before. His head felt as if it were ready to split any second.

_What a fun day this will be_. Ichigo thought as he got out of his bed. He considered putting on a shirt, but decided against it. The house was warm, as if Ichigo were sitting near a fireplace with a blanket wrapped around him. Besides, the only other person in the house was Isshin.

Yawning, Ichigo walked out of his room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He rubbed his head as he tried to remember foods that would cure his hangover. _If I remember correctly, tea and fruit help._

Ichigo opened a cabinet and took out a black kettle. As he began filling the kettle with water, a voice behind him said, "Good morning."

Ichigo whirled around and in the process, the kettle slipped from his fingers and fell onto the floor with a loud clang. Water spread all over tiles.

Rukia looked down on the wet floor, her face nonchalant. "Nice."

"_Rukia_? What the _fuck_ are you doing here?!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Who are you, Dory? You invited me to stay over just yesterday!"

Ichigo blinked and scratched his head. Memories of dancing with Rukia, chasing after her, and asking her to celebrate Christmas with him played in front of him.

"Oh."

"'Oh?' That's all you have to say? '_Oh_?'"

"Well sorry for drinking-" Ichigo groaned and clutched his head as another wave of pain hit him.

Rukia ignored his response. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Her purple gaze trailed down Ichigo's naked chest.

Ichigo flushed. Feeling self-conscious, he replied, "If I remembered you were here, I would've put on a shirt. Sorry, but all guys sleep with only boxers."

Rukia's gaze suddenly grew distant. "Not all guys." Her voice was so quiet and breathy, and the empty look in her eyes made Ichigo nervous.

"Where's Isshin?" Ichigo asked as he placed the kettle on the countertop, grabbed some paper towels and began wiping the floor. To his surprise, Rukia ripped some paper off the roll and wiped the floor with him.

"Passed out on the couch," Rukia said. She tossed her used paper towel in a nearby garbage can.

"Thanks," Ichigo said as he did the same. "Have you eaten yet?"

When Rukia shook her head, Ichigo asked, "How long have you been awake?"

"A couple of hours."

"And what have you been doing the whole time?"

"Just hanging out in the guest room. Why?"

Ichigo opened the refrigerator. The cool air made Ichigo shiver. "You could've just taken some food if you were up already."

Rukia crossed her arms. "I wasn't hungry." As if on cue, her stomach grumbled. Rukia's cheeks reddened.

Ichigo smirked. "You don't need my permission to eat, Rukia." He pulled out a carton of milk and closed the fridge. He handed it to Rukia, who hesitated a second before taking it. "Make yourself at home. You'll be staying here for the whole break." He raised an eyebrow. "Right?"

Rukia hesitated. "Right."

Ichigo opened up the pantry. As a doctor, Ichigo always encouraged his patients eat healthy meals. Wanting to be healthy, and not wanting to be a hypocrite, he made sure that the only cereals he'd eat were the ones high in fiber. Isshin, however, had an insatiable sweet tooth and had stocked up his pantry with the sweetest cereals stores could offer.

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo said. "Do you want Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Fruits Loops?"

"Um, Lucky Charms? I don't really care. You decide."

"Lucky Charms, then," Ichigo said and took out the red box with a leprechaun printed on it. When he turned around, he saw the raven haired woman holding a box of ginger tea.

"You want tea?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia shifted her body. "Um, no. But you wanted tea, right?"

Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"

Rukia looked embarrassed. "The kettle…you were going to make tea, right?"

Ichigo rubbed his head. He had almost forgot about his hangover. "Yeah, but you don't have to make it for me."

"You said to make myself feel at home, right?" Rukia said. "Doing everything for me isn't going to help."

When Ichigo didn't reply, Rukia added, "Think of it as a small 'thank you' for inviting me yesterday."

_You don't understand, Rukia. Me inviting was a small thank you for everything you've done._ But Rukia looked so determined, and Ichigo didn't want to ruin that.

"Fine."

Rukia looked relieved. "It'll be ready soon."

Ichigo watched as Rukia fill the kettle with water. Rukia seemed… _different_. He couldn't think of an explanation, but the usually confident Rukia seemed unsure of herself and just plain awkward.

Ichigo searched through his memory of last night: eating and drinking with everyone…leading Rukia to his room… exchanging gifts…

Ichigo's ears burned as he remembered his almost kiss with Rukia. Could that be the reason for her strange behavior? But she had seemed so nonchalant about it last night…

Something sank in the pit of Ichigo's stomach. For some reason, Ichigo _wanted_ Rukia to feel something about their almost kiss. Not just because it would explain her current behavior, but because he wanted to make Rukia feel _something_. Now that he thought about it, Ichigo didn't know how Rukia truly felt about him. She cared about him, that much was obvious. But to what extent? Sure, Rukia had gone out of her way to help him, but that could've just had to do with her personality.

"Tea's ready," Rukia said, pouring some of the tea into a white mug.

"Thanks," Ichigo mumbled as he accepted the hot drink from Rukia. He watched the steam swirl in the air and blew for a few seconds before bringing the cup to his lips. The tea burned his mouth so he couldn't taste anything, but the banging in his head weakened.

Rukia poured some Lucky Charms in a bowl of milk and ate slowly, her eyes fixed on the colorful cereal. She seemed afraid to look at him.

"You OK, Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia stiffened slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ichigo took another sip of tea. "Do you wanna go somewhere today?"

Rukia cocked her head. "Go where?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Just walk around town. You didn't grow up in Karakura, so it'd be nice to give you a tour."

"I've been at Las Noches for almost four years already," Rukia said. "I think I know my way around."

"I bet you've never been in every corner of Karakura though," Ichigo pointed out.

"Don't need to."

Why was she being so stubborn? "Come on Rukia, would you rather stay in the house with Isshin and me, or go out on an adventure?"

Rukia sighed. "You're too stubborn, you know that?"

"I think you told me that already," Ichigo said with a smile. "And as I've stated before, I'm just going to reject all of your negative opinions of me."

Rukia smirked. "Fine. After breakfast, just give me a few minutes to change. Oh, and please put on a shirt. Your naked ass chest is making me uncomfortable." 

* * *

><p>"Rukia, you almost ready?" Ichigo called. Rukia had been in the guest room for nearly half an hour.<p>

_Women_. Ichigo stuck his hands in his pocket. He never understood why some women took so long to get ready. All he wore was a blue coat with a red sweater underneath, and gray pants.

Ichigo heard a door close and light footsteps making their way down the hall.

"Sorry for making you wait," Rukia said as she walked down the stairs. Her outfit consisted of a yellow pea coat, a pink scarf, a white skirt, black tights and brown boots. Ichigo thought of her all black attire at the Christmas Spectacular. At that time, she'd looked a bit intimidating. Now, she looked…cute.

"Quit staring at me," Rukia snapped. "You look like an owl. Now, where do you want to take me?"

"Oh right, sorry," Ichigo said, shaking his head. "Anyways, let's just walk around for now."

"You don't have a specific destination in mind?"

Ichigo smirked as he opened the door, revealing a world covered with a pristine layer of white. "I do. I just want it to be a surprise."

Rukia eyed Isshin's car when the two stepped outside. "You're not gonna drive me, I'm assuming?"

"Trust me, walking will be more fun. Just try not to slip on any ice."

The two walked out of Ichigo's neighborhood in silence. As Ichigo looked up at the tall buildings, he thought about how misleading the name "Karakura Town" was. The "town," with all the skyscrapers and crowded streets, seemed more like a city.

Since it was only a day after Christmas, the streets were relatively quiet. Most people were out sunbathing in some beach in the Caribbean or skiing down icy slopes in Canada. Ichigo was not a huge fan of beaches; his last trip resulted in chaos. Keigo and his ex, Midori, were arguing the whole time, with Tatsuki helping Midori beat the poor comedian to a pulp for making sexist comments. Orihime was stung by a jellyfish and some guy had tried to steal Ichigo's wallet.

Ichigo wasn't much of a skier either, so most of his Christmas vacations were spent at home. Ichigo swallowed as he remembered cuddling with Orihime near the fireplace.

_"All I want for Christmas is you," Orihime whispered into Ichigo's ear. "For five lifetimes, you're the only one I want."_

That had been last year. Ichigo wondered if she had already been met Grimmjow. The memory of seeing a naked Orihime and Grimmjow, and nearly killing Grimmjow, still haunted him.

"Remembering something?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia and blinked. "How can you tell?"

"You get all spacey whenever you're remembering something," Rukia explained. "It's like the present has vanished and the only thing you can see is the past."

Ichigo sighed. "I guess I am like that."

Rukia hesitated. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking of?"

"Orihime," Ichigo said almost immediately. "I was thinking about how we spent Christmas last year at home, just enjoying each other's company."

Rukia's expression was unreadable. "Was thinking about it painful?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I haven't thought about Orihime in a while. I guess I was more surprised than upset."

"Do you still love her?"

Ichigo stopped and stared at Rukia. Urahara had asked him the same question a long time ago. He didn't know the answer then, and he didn't know the answer now.

"She…was my wife and first love," Ichigo said slowly. "So I guess a part of me will always feel _something_ for her, you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Rukia answered curtly, her gaze growing distant.

Ichigo watched Rukia. _Do you still love your ex-husband?_ He wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself to.

Ichigo took Rukia's hand. "Come on, we don't have all day," he said and ran.

"Hey, Ichigo! Where are we going?!" Rukia asked.

Ichigo grinned. "You'll see soon."

Ichigo's head felt light as they ran down the street, turned around a corner and stopped. Rukia let out a tiny gasp. In front of them was an ice skating rink, with people of all ages skating on the white ice and laughing, their cheeks red from the winter air. The song "Winter Wonderland" was playing.

"I used to come here all the time," Ichigo said, reluctantly letting go of Rukia's hand. "Now let's go get some skates!"

"Wait, Ichigo!" Rukia protested as Ichigo began to walk to the rental booth. "We-we can't do this!"

Ichigo glanced back and raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Rukia's cheeks reddened. "I…uh…"

Ichigo smirked. "Don't worry Rukia, I can teach you."

Rukia crossed her arms. "I never said I didn't know how to skate."

"You didn't need to. Now what size shoe are you?" Ichigo looked down at Rukia's feet. "Size five?"

"Um…"

"Size five. Now, just wait here and I'll go rent our skates." Ichigo jogged over to the rental booth. The man at the booth was a despondent looking creature with blonde hair. He looked oddly familiar…

"Two pairs; size five and size ten," Ichigo said.

The man's jaw dropped. "Dr. Kurosaki? Is it really you?"

Ichigo blinked. "Do I know you?"

The man frowned. "Kira, Izuru. You told me I had a deadly lung disease?"

"_Oh_ right, right right!" Ichigo said. "Did you get insurance?"

"Yeah." Izuru's gaze suddenly darkened, as if a shadow flitted over his eyes. "And I found out that I was perfectly healthy, too."

Ichigo laughed nervously. "Good to hear! Now how much are the skates?"

"Nineteen dollars," Izuru muttered as he grabbed the skates from the shelves and practically dropped them on the desk.

"Thanks!" Ichigo slapped the money on the desk and took off with the skates. He could feel Izuru glaring at him from behind.

"You look nervous," Rukia said indifferently as Ichigo returned. "What happened? Did the guy at the desk threaten to cut you with the blades?"

"He might as well have," Ichigo said. He handed Rukia a pair of skates and bent down to pull off his boots and slip on the skates.

As he tied the laces, he realized that Rukia was standing still, the skates dangling from her hand.

"Why don't you put them on?"

"I don't want to."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and took the skates from Rukia. He scanned the area, searching for a bench. Once he found one, Ichigo took Rukia's hand and dragged her to it.

"Sit."

"Do I have t-WHOA!" Rukia's eyes widened as Ichigo placed his hands on her waist, lifted her up and sat her down on the bench.

Rukia sniffed. "Your persistence irks me."

Ichigo smirked as he took off Rukia's boots and slipped her tiny feet into the skates. "Oh, so I'm not stubborn anymore? I'm '_persistent_?'"

"They mean the same thing."

"Yeah, but with different connotations," Ichigo replied. "You're a tiny person, by the way."

"Shut up."

Ichigo smirked and looked up. Rukia's arms were crossed and although her face was turned away, Ichigo could see that her cheeks were a deep shade of crimson.

Ichigo tied the laces and got up. "OK, wanna go skate now?"

"How about, no."

"Not an acceptable answer." Ichigo took Rukia's arms and pulled her off the bench, nearly pulling her into him.

"If I fall, it's your fault," Rukia said when they walked over to the entrance.

Ichigo extended his hand. "You won't fall. I'll make sure you don't."

Rukia hesitated for a moment before taking Ichigo's hand. She was wearing an expensive diamond ring, Ichigo noticed.

Paying no attention to the ring, Ichigo slowly guided Rukia onto the ice. They skated around the rink slowly. Children whizzed past them, laughing and chasing each other. A couple skated by as well, and smirked at Ichigo and Rukia before pushing ahead.

Rukia's face wore a look of uneasiness and whenever they turned, she would grasp Ichigo's hand tighter.

Once Ichigo was sure Rukia was stable enough, he said, "All right, I'm gonna let you go now."

"W-Wait Ichigo!" Rukia protested as Ichigo released her and skated ahead. She tried to catch up to Ichigo and slipped forward.

"Whoa!" They both exclaimed as Ichigo caught Rukia's flailing arms. When Rukia regained her posture, she stared at Ichigo and burst into laughter.

Ichigo chuckled. Rukia didn't look like she had bipolar disorder or a sex addiction or lived in a mental institution. She looked truly, genuinely, absolutely_ happy_. 

* * *

><p>"Aww look at the bunnies!" Rukia squealed and pressed her face against the window of a pet store. Several black spotted rabbits trembled.<p>

"Try not to scare them with your maniac smile, Rukia!" Ichigo teased. "If you scare a rabbit, it's heart will beat too fast and it could die."

It was nighttime already. After Ichigo and Rukia had gone skating, they bought some hot chocolate and were now strolling on the dimly lit streets of Karakura.

Rukia let out a tiny gasp. "Oh my god! If I ever killed a bunny, I'd never be able to live with myself!"

Ichigo smirked as he watched Rukia. Ever since they skated together, Rukia had been smiling and laughing constantly. There was also a certain liveliness in her gait that made Rukia seem ten years younger.

"Wanna go inside?" Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded eagerly.

A bell rang as Ichigo opened the door, causing many puppies to run around and bark madly in their pens.

"Good evening!" A large man with pink hair, whose name tag said "Hachigen Ushoda," said. "We're closing soon, just letting you know."

Ichigo nodded and glanced around the pet store. God, Ichigo hated that phrase. "_Pet store_" made the animals sound more like objects as opposed to living creatures.

Rukia was staring at the bunnies, who were cowering in the corner of their pen.

"May I hold one of them?" Rukia asked. Mr. Ushoda nodded and opened up the pen. He lifted up a white rabbit with black splotches and gently handed it to Rukia.

Rukia's eyes were the size of oranges as she stroked the rabbit's back. Ichigo scratched it behind its ears. The white fur was soft, like a cotton ball.

"I always wanted a rabbit when I was young," Rukia murmured, her gaze soft. "Byakuya would never let me raise one, though. Said that rabbits were vermin and didn't deserve a life of luxury; dogs were much better."

"I'm more of a dog person, too," Ichigo admitted. "But I think rabbits deserve a nice life. All animals do."

Rukia smiled. "Before I went to Las Noches, I had a pet rabbit. A Holland Lop, you know, the kind with droopy ears? She was cream colored."

"What did you name her?"

Rukia laughed. "Cream! Byakuya was mad that I not only bought a rabbit, but also gave it an 'atrocious' name."

Ichigo chuckled. "What would he have named it?"

"Something really pretentious, like, _Dainty Flower in Heaven's Meadow_. Flower, for short."

"Did you just come up with that? Or did Byakuya actually suggest that?"

"He actually suggested it."

"You're shitting me."

"I shit you not."

"Oh come on, Rukia!" Ichigo scoffed. "No one would name their rabbit 'Dainty Flower in Heaven's Meadow.'"

"Byakuya would." Rukia's eyes clouded. "Cream was my best friend. Then one day, she became ill and passed away."

Ichigo stared at Rukia. She was still smiling, but her gaze had grown distant again, and was locked on the rabbit's head. Her hand had stopped stroking the rabbit.

Ichigo placed his hand on Rukia's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

Rukia's lips parted as she looked up at Ichigo. She didn't seem sure how to respond. After a moment, she smiled once more and said, "Thank you."

Mr. Ushoda coughed and said, "I apologize, but we're closing now."

Ichigo's cheeks warmed as he turned away from Rukia. "Right. Uh…Rukia?"

"Right." Rukia handed the bunny back to Mr. Ushoda. "Thank you."

Mr. Ushoda nodded. He was staring intently at Ichigo and Rukia. "Have a good evening, and come again!"

"We will," Ichigo said as he and Rukia exited the pet store. Ichigo took out his phone and checked the time. "Isshin's cooking is awful, so we should probably head back now so I can cook dinner for-"

Something cold and wet slammed into the side of Ichigo's neck. He winced as ice cold water trickled down his back. He whirled and saw Rukia holding a snowball in one hand, the other clamped over her mouth to suppress giggles.

Ichigo grinned. "You're gonna pay, Kuchiki!" He scooped up some snow, rolled it into a ball and hurled it at Rukia.

Rukia dodged easily. "Nice throw, strawberry!" Rukia threw the snowball in her hand.

Ichigo veered to one side, and went down low to scoop up more snow. "Missed!"

Rukia picked up more snow as Ichigo rolled his into a ball. Before Ichigo could throw his, Rukia hurled hers. Ichigo dodged, only to find himself get smacked in the chest by another one.

"Got you!" Rukia crowed. _SPLAT_! Rukia's mouth dropped as she stared at her snow covered shoulder. She quickly brushed it off.

"Try not to get too cocky, Rukia," Ichigo laughed. He was laughing so hard, his sides were beginning to hurt. When was the last time he had a snowball fight?

_SPLAT_! Rukia had thrown another snowball and hit Ichigo's right shoulder.

"You were saying?" Rukia asked in between giggles. She skipped over and dusted the snow of Ichigo's shoulder with her hand. The tip of her fingers brushed lightly against his neck, and Ichigo felt a chill that he didn't think was from the cold.

Rukia stepped back and smiled at him. "So we should go back now?"

"Y-Yeah!" Ichigo said, feeling light headed. "Let's go."

As the two walked back to the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo couldn't help but think that inviting Rukia over had to be one of the best decisions of his life.


	15. Story of Ice

**Happy belated Thanksgiving! I'm grateful I finished this chapter. I noticed Toshiro wasn't getting a lot of screen-time so this chapter will have more focus on him.**

**Also I've noticed I've written some problematic stuff besides the black man line so if I've offended anyone I apologize. If I write someting problematic again, please don't hesitate to call me out!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Story of Ice

"I still can't believe you're a father," Ichigo said as he and Toshiro picked up trays. Winter break was over and Ichigo was back at Las Noches. It felt weird waking up to the sound of trumpets and Toshiro anxiously fixing his bed. Although Ichigo had only been gone for a couple of weeks, stepping out of Las Noches seemed like years ago.

"_I_ still can't believe I'm a father," Toshiro admitted as Unohana set two pancakes on his plate. Unohana smiled at Ichigo as she did the same for him. He nodded in return.

"What did you name the baby again?"

"Hyorinmaru." The two men sat down at their usual table. Rangiku and Kenpachi were already there.

"Didn't go with Jiro or Zero?" Ichigo smirked at the memory of Toshiro showing him a picture of a frustrated Momo. _"What do you think, Jiro or Zero?"_

Carefully slicing his pancakes into fourths, Toshiro answered, "Momo heard from somewhere that a child named Hyorinmaru lost his life trying to save his family from a fire. She wants our son to be brave and selfless like him."

"Ah I see," Ichigo said, feeling hollow. An image of a woman falling to the ground entered Ichigo's mind. A young boy was standing on the gray sidewalk, watching, screaming, unable to do anything.

"Aw poor kid!" Rangiku squealed. "He _is_ a hero!"

"Y-Yeah." Wanting to change the subject, Ichigo turned to Kenpachi. "So Kenpachi, you saw Unohana?"

Kenpachi grinned. As soon as Ichigo had returned to Las Noches, the spiky haired guy had charged at Ichigo, screaming incoherently. Once Ichigo got Kenpachi to calm down, Kenpachi told him how he gave Unohana a Christmas card and how Unohana thanked him and smiled.

_"I knew she didn't hate me!" Kenpachi hollered. "Man I owe you big time!"_

_"You know for a fact the smile was genuine?"_

_"Ichigo, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I do notice some things. And if there's anything I noticed about Unohana, it's that when she's genuinely happy, her eyes light up and practically smile at you."_

"I think she's starting to like me back," Kenpachi said, glancing at Unohana.

"I wouldn't say that yet," Ichigo said carefully. "But your relationship is definitely improving."

Kenpachi smirked. "Just like your relationship with Kuchiki?"

Ichigo nearly choked on a piece of pancake. "HUH?"

Rangiku laughed. "We saw you too coming here together. Did you spend Christmas break together?"

Ichigo flushed. "Y-Yeah. I invited her over, so?"

Kenpachi leaned forward with a lecherous smile on his face. "Did you two sleep together?"

"Of course not!" Ichigo snapped. "Rukia slept in the guest room!"

"Jesus fucking Christ," Rangiku muttered. "For a doctor, you can be pretty dense."

"I am not," Ichigo replied indignantly. He looked down at his plate. Why were Kenpachi and Rangiku so interested in his relationship with Rukia? Even Toshiro, who didn't like sticking his nose into anyone's business, had been listening attentively.

_Where is Rukia anyway?_ Ichigo looked over at the table she usually sat at. Empty. Ichigo scanned the room and saw the raven haired woman walking to the table with a tray of food.

"Hey Rukia!" Ichigo called out. Rukia turned at the sound of her name and raised an eyebrow when she saw Ichigo. "Come sit with us!"

Kenpachi, Rangiku, and Toshiro looked shocked. "What are you doing?" Rangiku hissed.

Ignoring her, Ichigo pulled up a chair from behind him. "You can sit here!"

Rukia stood there, seemingly debating whether or not to accept Ichigo's offer. After a moment, she shrugged and walked over.

"Morning, Rukia!" Ichigo said as Rukia took her seat.

"Morning," she mumbled. She nodded at everyone else. They were all staring at her cautiously. Ichigo felt a stab of disappointment. He had hoped by now that Kenpachi, Toshiro and Rangiku had stopped viewing Rukia as a bomb ready to go off.

_We need to change that_. Ichigo glanced over at Rukia's plate. "That's a lot of food, Rukia. Didn't eat enough over the break?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk. You were eating so much, I'd expected you to blow up like Harry Potter's aunt."

"She didn't blow up because she was eating too much," Ichigo pointed out. "She just pissed Harry off. Did you even read the books?"

"Of course I read the books dumb ass," Rukia retorted. "Otherwise I wouldn't know that she blew up in the first place!"

Before Ichigo could respond, Rangiku said, "Wow, is this actually what you guys talk about when you're alone?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Only when Ichigo is being stupid. But that happens a lot, so I suppose, yes; this is what our conversations are often like."

"I can relate to that," Toshiro said. "Ichigo and I debate about books all the time. While I respect other people's opinions, some opinions are just _so_ wrong."

Ichigo's jaw dropped while Rukia snickered. "T-Toshiro! My interpretations are never _that_ bad. And I'm right about Harry's aunt!"

"Oh yeah, you are," Toshiro said. He quickly added, "Sorry, Kuchiki."

Rukia smiled. "It's fine. And by the way, you can call me 'Rukia.'"

"Oh!" Toshiro looked surprised and relieved. He straightened himself. "I don't think we've ever formally met. I'm Hitsugaya, Toshiro." He extended his hand.

"Kuchiki, Rukia." Rukia shook his hand.

"Zaraki, Kenpachi!" Kenpachi grabbed Rukia's hand and shook it vigorously. "Is it true that Chizuru tried to grope you once, and you smacked her so hard that she got a concussion?"

"Actually, I kicked her," Rukia said. "She didn't get a concussion, but she did need to go the hospital."

Kenpachi grinned. "We're going to be friends, I know it."

Ichigo stared at the whole scene, absolutely baffled, as Rangiku extended her hand also. "Matsumoto, Rangiku. You may have seen me on TV."

Rukia shook her hand. "Yeah, I have. Victoria's Secret model, huh?" Somehow, her tone was different. She seemed a bit tense, and her eyes were scanning Rangiku's face as if trying to look for any flaws. Rangiku didn't seem to notice anything and after a moment, Rukia relaxed and smiled.

Rangiku beamed. "Yep! Did you see me when I was dressed as the devil?"

When Rukia shook her head, Rangiku suddenly lifted up her shirt, revealing a lacy red bra. "This is the bra I wore! Isn't it cute?"

As Rukia and Kenpachi laughed, Ichigo and Toshiro's faces turned as red as the bra.

"Rangiku, pull down your shirt right now!" Toshiro demanded.

Rangiku laughed, but did as he said. "You're no fun."

"So Rukia," Kenpachi said. "If you don't mind me asking, did you actually fuck all your colleagues?"

"All thirteen of them," Rukia answered without skipping a beat.

"Were there women?"

"Yep."

"Did you give them lap dances?"

"Yep. We did a lot of foreplay too."

"Can you guys talk about this somewhere else?" Toshiro said, looking very embarrassed.

"Come on Toshiro," Kenpachi teased. "It's not like you've never had sex before."

"That's different! Momo and I are married!"

"Yeah yeah whatever," Kenpachi said. "What's girl on girl sex like?"

"I agree with Toshiro," Ichigo said. "Move this conversation somewhere else." Hearing Kenpachi question Rukia about her sex life was not only awkward, but also reminded Ichigo of his first conversation with Rukia.

_"Jesus Christ," Ichigo muttered under his breath. "Have you always been like that?"_

_Rukia's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"_

_"I don't know, like a-"_

_"A SLUT?! You think I'm a slut now, don't you!?"_

_"That's not what I meant!" Ichigo protested. "You're just different!"_

_Rukia's face turned red. "DIFFERENT!? And you're not!? Oh, I get it! To you, I'm not just a slut, I'm a CRAZY slut!" As if to prove her point, Rukia tossed her head back. "AHAHAHAHA!"_

_Rukia shot up and swiped her arm across the table. Their plates shattered as the trays fell to the floor._

_"FUCK YOU!"_

_I hurt Rukia_. Ichigo thought. _I hurt Rukia, and hope I never hurt her again. I think I'd rather die._

"Et tu, Ichigo?" Kenpachi whined.

Rukia smiled. "Actually, I think we shouldn't talk about this here. If you really want to know, maybe you can drop by my room later?"

Everyone, especially Kenpachi, was surprised at Rukia's offer. "Yeah, sure," Kenpachi said. "Maybe I can come by after you and Ichigo have finished diddling each other."

Ichigo shot up from his chair. It was the last straw. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT RUKIA AND I ARE NOT HAVING SEX WITH EACH OTHER?!"

The entire cafeteria had suddenly grown quiet. Everyone was staring at Ichigo. Rukia casually sipped her milk.

Ichigo flushed. Why did he have to shout? "Um, hey guys. Pretend you didn't hear that." He slowly sank back into his chair. He could sense everyone whispering to each other.

"Good job," Rukia said as Kenpachi began cackling. "Now everyone's going to be talking for days."

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled. His cheeks were still burning.

"It's fine. I'm used to people talking about me." Rukia tossed her hair back and gave Ichigo a sassy smile, though he knew it was just a facade.

Toshiro coughed. "Well, this morning has been sufficiently awkward. Breakfast is ending soon, I'm gonna head back to my room." He picked up his empty tray and walked away.

"I should be going too," Kenpachi said. "I think I'll stop by your room tomorrow night, Rukia. See ya!"

Ichigo turned to Rukia, who was also getting up. "See you in the gym today?"

"I'll be at the ellipticals," Rukia said and walked off. She was wearing skinny jeans, and Ichigo couldn't help but stare at Rukia's bottom.

"And to think that I used to be scared of her." Ichigo turned to Rangiku. The strawberry blonde model was staring at Rukia with a small smile.

Ichigo leaned back in his chair as he glanced back at Rukia. She had just walked out of the cafeteria and turned, completely disappearing from Ichigo's sight.

"Everyone was."

"Except you," Rangiku pointed out. "You kept trying to tell us to give her a chance." She cocked her head. "You're a kind man, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's cheeks grew warm. He scratched his head. "I'm not _that_ nice."

Rangiku giggled. "You don't have to be modest." The smile suddenly faded from her face. In a quiet voice, she said, "You know, I've been thinking about what you said to me a lot."

Ichigo stared at Rangiku as he recalled tears streaming down her face like silver rivers, her voice shaking as she told him about Gin. "Yes, and…?"

Instead of answering, Rangiku gave Ichigo a fond smile, got up, and left. 

* * *

><p>"As I've said before, we did good at the Christmas Spectacular, but there's still room for improvement," Rukia said. "And there are more moves we have to incorporate into the routine."<p>

"Like that tap dance?" Ichigo asked with a wince.

"Yes, we're going to tap dance," Rukia said. "And I don't want to hear a single complaint, capiche?"

"Capiche," Ichigo muttered.

Rukia smirked. "Good. Now, let's begin. I'll let you know where we're inserting new moves."

The first song played and Ichigo and Rukia shuffled and twirled together, the same way they did at the Christmas Spectacular. The techniques, which Ichigo initially found difficult, felt much easier now, as if he were moving on instinct. Though Rukia's lips were a straight line, her violet eyes were bright, and Ichigo knew that Rukia was proud of his improvement.

"Tap dance, now!" Rukia commanded. Picturing Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor shuffling on the desk, Ichigo shuffled and windmilled his arms. For some reason, Ichigo couldn't help but glance at Rukia. Rukia met his gaze and a smile tugged at Ichigo's lips.

Turning to each other, Ichigo and Rukia took each others hands and waltzed. He spun Rukia once and with one hand placed firmly on her back, dipped Rukia down. Rukia tilted her head back, and Ichigo could see the arch of her neck.

Ichigo slowly lifted Rukia back up. Her eyes met Ichigo's and suddenly, he couldn't move. Rukia's face was inches away from his, and her violet eyes seemed to pierce right through him like ice. It was as if Rukia was casting an unbreakable spell on Ichigo; a spell in which Ichigo was the slave, and Rukia was his master.

Almost as quickly as it had begun, Rukia looked away.

"I have to go now," she mumbled and pulled away from Ichigo. She awkwardly gathered her belongings and took off.

As soon as Ichigo opened Urahara's door, the crazy therapist slammed into Ichigo and wrapped his arms around him.

"I've missed you so much, Ichigo, my son!" Urahara shrieked.

"Fucking let go of me!" Ichigo snapped and shoved Urahara off. Urahara laughed as he regained his balance and brushed his shirt.

"So tell me, Ichigo," Urahara said as he sat down in his leather chair. He gestured for Ichigo to take a seat. "How was your Christmas?"

Despite his annoyance, Ichigo plopped onto the chair and smiled. "It was nice. Rukia came to my place."

"Ah yes, I heard from Miss Unohana." Urahara smirked. "It seems like your relationship with her has improved _greatly_. By the way, nice job at the Christmas Spectacular."

"Thanks," Ichigo replied faintly. His mind was stuck on Urahara's statement: _It seems like your relationship with her has improved _greatly.

_Jesus Christ, why do people keep commenting on our relationship?_

As if reading his mind, Urahara answered, "Because your relationship with Miss Kuchiki has romantic potential, and everyone loves a good romance."

"_Huh_?"

Pretending that he hadn't said anything, Urahara said, "What have you been thinking recently? Any dark thoughts you've been having? Prophetic dreams I should know about?"

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and reflected on the past few months: Orihime and Grimmjow…standing in front of Las Noches…meeting Rukia…Kenpachi chasing after Unohana…the earthquake…Rangiku's crying face…debating with Toshiro…dancing with Rukia at the Christmas Spectacular…ice skating with Rukia…

These past few months had been a roller coaster, so many ups and downs that Ichigo forgot what a normal life felt like. Or maybe "normal" was a relative term, because as far as Ichigo was concerned, _this_ was "normal" for him. Waking up to Toshiro's grumbling as he fixed his bed, listening to Kenpachi ramble about Unohana like a teenage girl with a crush, watching the flame in Rangiku's eyes die out as she remembered something painful, sitting in front of Urahara with a notepad in his hand, and dancing with Rukia with her violet orbs twinkling at him, was "normal" to him. Pre-Las Noches Ichigo would've cringed at the thought but now, Ichigo didn't care. Of course, it would be great to permanently check out of Las Noches, but Ichigo was grateful to have met everyone, even Urahara.

"I'm thinking of writing a book," Ichigo finally said. "A book about my experience here at Las Noches."

Urahara's eyes widened. "A book? That's certainly ambitious of you, especially with the dance tournament coming up."

"I know," Ichigo said. "But this is something I really want to do. When most people think of mental institutions, they think of dark towers that contain psychopaths that need to be chained. Honestly, I was expecting everyone here to be insane when I first came. But I've met some of the best people here, and I want others to realize that every patient in Las Noches, in any institution, is human too. Healthy or not, our voices need to be heard." 

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ichigo!" Ichigo looked up from his laptop as Toshiro entered the room. The silver haired man took off his shoes and gently placed them in front of his bed. "Whatcha' doing?"<p>

Ichigo glanced back at his laptop screen. After his session with Urahara, Ichigo had ran to his room and immediately opened up Microsoft Word. He so ready to start the book, but as soon as he typed "Chapter 1," Ichigo found himself suffering from writer's block. It had been nearly half an hour already, and still the document contained only that phrase: _Chapter 1_.

"Um, nothing," Ichigo lied.

Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "Right. Anyways, I have to tell you what happened just now. I was walking down the hall and guess who I saw? Kenpachi and Unohana. They were talking to each other. I couldn't hear what exactly they were saying, but Unohana seemed, understandably, pissed and Kenpachi looked so sad in a shocked sort of way…"

Ichigo barely processed Toshiro's words. They were flying through one ear and out through the other because watching Toshiro go on and on gave Ichigo an idea.

"Hey, Toshiro," Ichigo interrupted. "I need to ask you something."

Toshiro sniffed. "Rude, Ichigo. I wasn't finished."

"You can tell me later," Ichigo said. "What I need to ask you is _extremely _important."

Toshiro sighed and sat on his bed. "What is it?"

"You asked before what I was doing," Ichigo said. "Well, I've decided to write a book about my experience here."

Toshiro's jaw dropped and he made a noise that was a mix between a chuckle and a gasp. "A _book_? Oh my god Ichigo, that's great! Do you need my help? I've always been told I was a talented writer."

"I do kind of need your help," Ichigo admitted. "But right now, I don't need you to tell me how to start. As I said before, I'm going to write about my experience here. That means I'm going to have to write about you."

Toshiro hesitated. "You…want to know my story, don't you?"

"You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable-"

"No, it's fine." Toshiro smiled. "I'm usually uncomfortable opening up to others, but you're my friend, Ichigo. Now, listen closely as I take you back to the past."

Toshiro looked up at the ceiling and said quietly, "I…never had friends growing up. My spiky white hair attracted a lot of negative attention. My cold disposition intimidated everyone. My mom had died from cancer, while my father was just never around. I was raised by my grandmother, who I guess was my best friend. I loved her and she loved me, but it was never enough. I wanted to fit in, become friends with people my age. I hated the look everyone always gave me. The only way of changing everyone's opinion of me, I thought, was to excel in everything. By getting good grades, I hoped I would destroy the thought that I would join the Yakuza or whatever. By being a star athlete, I hoped to win admiration from others. So I worked. A lot. I worked so hard in everything I did, made sure that _everything_ was perfect and as I grew older, my desire for everything to be perfect grew stronger and stronger. Even after getting admitted to a top university, even after becoming manager of a company, I kept fussing over every single little detail. It was an obsession." Toshiro closed his eyes, as if the memory was paining him. "Momo realized that I needed help after I spent two hours wiping the table. I was in denial at first, but I eventually realized that there _was_ something wrong with me. So I checked myself in here. It was difficult at first, but I later befriended Rangiku and Kenpachi and now, I'm slowly recovering." Toshiro opened his eyes and gave Ichigo a small smile. "That's my story."

Ichigo nodded, unsure whether to return the smile or not. After a moment, he decided to return it. "Wow, Toshiro. That's some story. Thank you for sharing it with me."

Toshiro nodded. "No problem. If you need any help with your book, don't hesitate to ask. What's the title, by the way?"

"Thanks, and honestly, I haven't thought of a title yet. I'll come up with one later," Ichigo said. He looked back at his laptop and smiled. He knew what to write now.

Ichigo replaced the "Chapter 1" with "Story of Ice." As he wrote a brief introduction to Toshiro, he thought about the story he just heard.

_"My spiky white hair attracted a lot of negative attention." _That sentence had struck a cord in Ichigo, because his spiky orange hair had gotten him looks as a child. A lot of kids had teased him for it, even tried to beat him up.

"With hair like that, you look like you belong in the Yakuza," some dumb older kid had told him before proceeding to kicking Ichigo in the stomach. It was utterly ridiculous to Ichigo now, but at that time, it brought tears to his eyes. No one could cheer him up, except for one person…

Ichigo shook his head vigorously. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. Now was the time to focus on his book, the dance tournament, and move on with life.


	16. Thank You

**Hey everyone! Great news, I'm still alive and working on this fic!**

**I realized a while ago that January was the one year anniversary of this story. I really wanted to post a chapter on that day, but unfortunately didn't get to :/**

**Anyways, I really want to thank you all, especially those who've stuck to this story from the very beginning and those who consistently reviewed. I really wasn't expecting so many people to like this story so it means a lot to me!**

**I hope this chapter was worth the wait because it's the most important one (and I think the longest too?)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

Thank You

"SHE _HATES_ ME ICHIGO! SHE ABSOLUTELY HATES ME!" Kenpachi wailed and buried his face into his giant hands. While Ichigo was typing Toshiro's story for his still unnamed book, Kenpachi started banging the door so hard, Ichigo was convinced it would break down. And something about it told Ichigo that Kenpachi _was_ going to break down the door because just as Toshiro opened it, Kenpachi burst in and crashed into the wall. The guy had ran in with so much force that he lay on the ground completely knocked out for a solid five minutes before getting back up, grabbing Ichigo's shoulders, and shaking him so violently that Ichigo thought his neck would snap. Now, Kenpachi was sitting on Ichigo's bed and crying about how Unohana "hated" him.

"Calm down, calm down," Ichigo said, awkwardly patting Kenpachi's back. "Just tell me what happened." He briefly glanced at Toshiro, who seemed to be struggling to keep his eyes from rolling.

Breathing heavily, Kenpachi looked up and replied, "I was running over to Unohana to ask her if she wanted to hang out-"

"Wait wait wait," Ichigo said. "You were going to ask Unohana out? Kenpachi, you-"

"I know it was stupid!" Kenpachi snapped. "But I just saw her and I couldn't help myself. So I asked her out and Unohana thought I was trying to make another move on her, like ask her if she wanted to fuck. So she started yelling at me." Kenpachi stopped and whimpered.

"What did she say exactly?" Ichigo asked.

Kenpachi hesitated. "Well she started out telling me how I should stop harassing her and again threatened to call the cops…"

"Uh huh…"

"And then I said that if she really didn't enjoy it she would've called the cops already…"

Ichigo swallowed. He knew where this was going.

"And then she started telling me how she could lose her job and people would slut-shame her and then she started talking about how rape victims often don't call tell others for reasons like that." Kenpachi buried his face in his hands. "And now I just feel like an asshole and she completely hates me now and everything is just awful."

Choosing his words carefully, Ichigo replied, "I wouldn't say she _hates_ you but Unohana is right: advancing on her the way you did before is problematic. Just apologize to her and show that you know what you did was wrong. If she forgives you, great. If she doesn't, just give her some space."

"W-What do I say though?" Kenpachi sputtered. "A simple 'sorry' isn't enough."

"You're right," Ichigo said. "It's not. That's why Toshiro and I are going to help you come up with a nice, long apology." Ichigo turned to Toshiro, who had winced at the offer. "_Right_, Toshiro?"

Toshiro sighed. "Fine." As he walked over to them, he shot Ichigo a glare that seemed to say, "you owe me."

"OK," Ichigo said, clapping his hands together. "Toshiro, get a pencil and paper. Kenpachi, think of what you want to say."

Toshiro opened Ichigo's bed-side table and pulled out a pencil and sheet of paper. He handed the two items to Kenpachi, who took it reluctantly and stared sheepishly at the blank space.

After what seemed liked forever, Kenpachi tossed the pencil and paper aside. "I can't fucking do this, Ichigo," he said dejectedly.

Ichigo's eyes widened, absolutely baffled by Kenpachi's lack of determination. "Yes you can!"

"No I _can't_!"

"And why can't you?"

"I just can't."

"There's obviously a reason, Kenpachi. Why can't you write an apology?"

"I'm not a great writer."

"You wrote Unohana that poem once."

"Only because I had help."

"Toshiro and I are here to help you write this letter too."

"Still, I can't write anything."

Ichigo's temper was quickly rising. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. "_Why the fuck not_?"

"BECAUSE I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO!" Kenpachi broke out. "I BARELY GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE! YES I DID FUCKING WRITE A POEM BEFORE BUT ONLY BECAUSE I HAD A SHIT TON OF HELP. YOU, RANGIKU, AND TOSHIRO ACTUALLY PRACTICALLY WROTE IT FOR ME. BUT THIS LETTER IS DIFFERENT. THIS LETTER IS FOR SHOWING UNOHANA HOW DEEPLY SORRY I AM FOR EVERYTHING. IF I CAN'T WRITE EVEN HALF OF IT BY MYSELF THEN I DON'T DESERVE TO EVEN LOOK AT HER!"

The three of them sat there, with the only sounds being Kenpachi's heavy breaths. Ichigo was too surprised to break the silence. Never before had he seen Kenpachi so defeated; no matter how hopeless the situation seemed, Kenpachi always faced it confidently, even arrogantly.

Ichigo quickly searched his minds for the right words to say. "Look, Kenpachi…"

All of a sudden, Toshiro got up and said, "You know what Kenpachi? You're right. You incapable of writing a decent apology letter…"

Ichigo whirled around. "Toshiro, what the-"

"…if you keep telling yourself you can't," Toshiro continued. "Kenpachi, if there's anything I know about you, it's that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind on. Remember when you wanted to befriend me when you saw I was alone? I fucking hated your persistence at first, but look where we are now. You're one of my closest friends and I trust you with my life." He paused and grinned. "If you want to apologize to Unohana, then fucking go apologize to her!"

There was another moment of silence, but this time Ichigo was pleasantly surprised. He never would've in a million years imagined Toshiro giving an inspirational speech.

Kenpachi said in quiet, surprised tone, "You actually trust me with your life?"

"Only sometimes. Let's be real, you could also be the reason why I die. Remember when you thought it would be fun for us to try to join the Yakuza?"

Kenpachi howled with laugher. "That was hilarious, though! They actually came to visit us and you almost pissed yourself!"

Toshiro flushed. "That was not funny at all, are you kidding me? We almost got kicked out of here!"

"It's still the coolest thing you ever probably did and will do though," Kenpachi retorted. His gaze softened. "Well, besides what you did just now."

Kenpachi stood up and wrapped his giant arms around Toshiro's miniature body. Ichigo stifled a laugh; Toshiro looked as if all his bones would break.

Kenpachi released Toshiro, who started gasping for air. "Thanks, Toshiro. I seriously owe you one." He turned to Ichigo. "And thank you too, Ichigo."

Ichigo raised his hands, feeling slightly awkward. "Hey don't thank me. That was all Toshiro just now."

"But you still offered to help," Kenpachi said. "And I will come to you for help if I can't think of the perfect word to use." Kenpachi stretched himself and crossed his arms. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go write my letter."

He marched out of the room, closing the door with a loud _bang_. After a few seconds, someone knocked on the door. When Ichigo opened it, he saw Kenpachi outside with a sheepish grin.

"I just remembered that I don't have a paper and pencil."

Ichigo and Toshiro both chuckled. For a body builder in his thirties, Kenpachi sure acted like a kid sometimes. Toshiro picked up the paper and pencil Kenpachi had thrown away and handed them to him.

"OK, _now _I go," Kenpachi said and marched off.

As Ichigo closed the door, he turned to Toshiro and said, "You're a good friend, you know."

Toshiro shrugged. "Eh, I guess." Despite his nonchalant tone, his eyes flickered with pride. 

* * *

><p>The dance room was empty.<p>

Knitting his eyebrows, Ichigo walked to the right wall and sat down against it. He leaned his head back. Normally, Rukia arrived earlier than he did. On any other day, Ichigo wouldn't have cared too much.

But this was different.

Ichigo shut his eyes as he recalled yesterday's practice. Rukia had just suddenly taken off during their practice. For what reason, Ichigo had no idea. It wasn't anything strange was happening. They were just dancing…

Ichigo felt a strange ripple in his heart at the memory of looking into Rukia's eyes. They really were beautiful; her eyes were one of the first things he had noticed about her. But somehow, they seemed different yesterday. They had completely captivated Ichigo and made him feel as if he lost all control of himself. It was actually quite scary. The last time he felt like that was when he and Orihime-

Ichigo's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps from outside.

"Sorry I'm late!" Rukia exclaimed, her cheeks flushed as if she had been running. "I just… took a while to get ready."

Ichigo could tell she was lying, but didn't ask any questions. "It's fine," he replied. "I was actually afraid you weren't going to come." Ichigo stopped. He had added that last part without thinking. Actually, he hadn't even realized he felt that way until now.

"Yeah…" Rukia mumbled. She didn't seem to know how to respond. "Anyways, let's begin."

Practice began the same way it usually did: Ichigo and Rukia dancing their routine. All the steps were done without any clumsiness or awkwardness, yet everything felt completely off. Rukia had lost her usual flair and looked so distracted by something.

Ichigo placed his hand on Rukia's back and dipper her down. Her head tilted back and once again, Ichigo could see the arch of her neck. He lifted her up and their eyes met and for a split second, Ichigo's heart stopped and everything around him seemed to freeze.

Then, Ichigo realized that both he and Rukia had stopped moving.

It was like déjà vu. Ichigo was sure that Rukia was going to run off like yesterday.

But she didn't. She didn't even look uncomfortable. Instead, she stood there and held his gaze, with an intense, unreadable expression on her face. She seemed to be waiting for him to do _something_.

Ichigo's heart was racing so fast, he thought it would burst from his chest. Without thinking, he leaned down and he could smell her sweet scent.

When their lips were centimeters apart, Rukia jerked back looking absolutely horrified. "No no no…" she murmured repeatedly as she stepped away from Ichigo. "No, I can't do this." She clutched her head with her hands as if she were having a terrible migraine.

Ichigo's chest felt as if he had just been stabbed. "I'm-I'm sorry Rukia. I-"

Rukia shook her head vigorously. "No no, it's not your fault." She leaned against the wall and slid down, bending her legs and wrapping her arms around them. She hid her face behind them.

Ichigo hesitated, unsure what to do, before slowly making his way toward her and sitting down beside her.

After what felt like hours of silence, Rukia slowly looked up. Her face was a little puffy and her eyes were red with tears. "Ichigo, how much do you know about me?"

"What?"

"How much do you know about my past?"

_Well, you grew up under the strict care of business mogul Byakuya Kuchiki. You were close with his wife and learned to dance from her. You became a lawyer and got married. And then your husband died and you started living here._

Rukia quickly wiped her tears away. "You know… I didn't have any friends growing up. My brother's power intimidated everyone and my introverted tendencies made it even more difficult. I was close with his wife, Hisana, but she died of sickness when I was in middle school. I was so alone."

She paused, and Ichigo wondered if he was supposed to say something until she continued, "And then I went to college and met two people: Kaien and Miyako. Miyako was like a sister to me and Kaien… well we eventually started dating." Rukia's voice cracked when she said that last word.

"Kaien was my first everything. First kiss, first boyfriend, first love… I was actually convinced we were going to get married." Rukia let out a hoarse laugh. "Then one night I was walking out. It was on a whim, yet it changed everything. Because as I was walking, I saw Kaien and Miyako together. Before I could say 'hi' to them, they wrapped their arms around each other and…" Rukia's voice choked up. "I felt so _betrayed_. I confronted them and found out they were seeing each other for half a year already. I told them I would never speak with them again. I deleted their numbers and blocked them on Facebook. I wanted nothing to do with them."

Rukia's eyes were brimming with tears. "Then one night, a few weeks later, Kaien showed up at my door drunk, _very_ drunk. He grabbed me and kept rambling about how he loved and missed me so much and that we needed to get back together. He dragged me to my room and I couldn't fight back, he was too strong." Tears were streaming down Rukia's face like silver rivers. Ichigo put his arm around Rukia and held her close. He knew what was going to happen and the thought made his stomach clench.

"He _raped_ me!" Rukia sounded as if she had to force herself to say it. "He took my virginity! And when it was all over, he collapsed on me completely passed out. When I regained my strength, I threw him off of me and his head hit the edge of my bedside table so hard and he never woke up. The police came-apparently a neighbor heard my screams-and took his body away. They didn't arrest me since it was out of self-defense and even thought it was, even though Kaien deserved it, a part of me couldn't help but feel guilty. Because regardless of the reason, I still killed someone and Byakuya was at some meeting and there was no way I could bring myself to call him. I thought I was completely alone."

Ichigo held Rukia tighter. Listening to Rukia made his chest heavy.

"But I wasn't. One of the cops…he personally knew a girl who had been raped. He saw how much it could impact a person's life. He visited me every day after work and spent time with me. He never really mentioned it. He just did whatever he could to make me happy and before I knew it, I was in love again and this time, he loved me back."

Rukia let out a sob. "His name was Renji; Abarai, Renji. We got married and I thought everything would be OK. But we never consummated our marriage. Every time we were about to do it, I would get flashbacks and I'd scream and Renji would stop and hold me. After some time, we stopped trying."

Rukia wiped her tears. "And then, one night, Renji was chasing some burglar. And the burglar turned around, pulled out a gun, and fired. Renji…didn't make it and I felt so alone again. I don't know what happened exactly but one day, I was having a meeting with my boss who always had a thing for me even though he was married and at least twenty years older than me. Something inside me snapped and we did it and then I was doing it with all my other colleagues. I was addicted. Soon after I did it with a lady colleague, she realized something was wrong and talked to me. I-I completely broke down and told her everything. Her husband is a therapist that works here, so she thought it would be a good idea to check myself in and meet with him. Byakuya was furious when he found out. He got her fired and made sure we never saw each other. He even had me assigned to Dr. Ukitake instead of the husband. The only reason why he let me stay was because he heard about the rumors and didn't want me to fuck up again."

More tears fell from her eyes. "It's been three years and I'm still the same as before. I'm still messed up."

For the first time since she opened up, she met Ichigo's eyes and he saw all the pain she felt in her watery, night colored eyes. He saw how much of a failure she felt and for the first time, Ichigo understood. He completely understood her.

"It's not true, you know," Ichigo said softly. "You're not still the same as before. When I first met you, you seemed to not care about anything. And you were alone, always alone. And you seemed scared to change that: always so hostile and cold to everyone." Ichigo smiled slightly at the memory of their first encounter, how Rukia was so reluctant to even shake hands with him. "But you're no longer like that. You're smiling and laughing more and you're friends with me, Rangiku, Toshiro, Kenpachi, and my family. Your eyes have life in them now. You don't realize it, Rukia, but you've changed. You've grown. And even though you'll never be the same as you were before, you'll be a new Rukia. You'll be a Rukia that was strong enough to survive so many hardships and grow even stronger." Ichigo wiped the tears from Rukia's cheeks with his thumb. "And you won't be alone."

Rukia's eyes filled up with tears again. She buried her face into Ichigo's shoulders and began sobbing. Ichigo held her even closer and rested the hand that was on her shoulder on her head and slowly ran his fingers through her silky hair.

And then, Rukia was mumbling something. It took Ichigo several seconds to understand that she was saying _"thank you"_ over and over again. _"Thank you."_

Ichigo leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He didn't know why, but suddenly he was thinking about how Rukia blamed herself for Kaien's death. The thought sent a chill down his back and seemed to bring out some distant memory. As it was happening, Ichigo suddenly realized why he thought of Kaien's death and winced.

Rukia froze and slowly looked up. "I-Ichigo? What's wrong?"

Ichigo felt numb. "What do you mean?"

"Your body got stiff all of a sudden. What happened?"

Ichigo rubbed his temple. His head was suddenly in so much pain. "I…uh…"

"You don't have to talk about it if you're not comfortable doing so," Rukia said quickly. "Don't feel obligated to say something just because I did."

Rukia's words hit Ichigo hard and suddenly, he knew he had to let it out. "I do want to talk about it though," Ichigo replied firmly. "I have to."

This whole time, Ichigo had been so scared to bring that memory out. Every time it would resurface, Ichigo would shove it away and lock it up. Urahara kept telling him over and over that he was only hurting himself and although Ichigo knew that somewhere in the back of his head, he refused to let it all out.

But now, he was ready.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "This might be difficult for you to believe but…I didn't really have friends during my childhood. I was so awkward and my hair color turned everyone off. Before I met Chad, Uryu, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Orihime in high school, my only friend was Tatsuki. And really, the only reason why we became friends was because our karate coach paired us up together." Ichigo smirked. "Tatsuki hated me at first. She was the top student in the class and I was the worst. She beat me to a pulp every time we sparred. I think that's why we were paired up together all the time; our coach thought training with each other would benefit me."

The smirk fell from Ichigo's face. "Whenever I lost a match, I'd cry so much. It was so embarrassing but I couldn't help it. Everyone would make fun of me and that'd make things worse. But as soon as I saw my mother, I'd stop crying and start smiling."

An image of a beautiful lady with light brown hair and warm brown hairs flashed through Ichigo's mind. He didn't try to block it.

"My mother…was the center of my world. She always knew what to say and do. I loved her more than anyone else. Then one day, one rainy day…" Ichigo swallowed. "My mother was walking home with me from karate class. We were talking and holding hands and laughing and some man stopped us. I don't know if he was drunk or sober, but he was into my mother." Ichigo shut his eyes as he heard two familiar voices.

_"Damn, you is _fine. _Want to have a few drinks with me?"_

_"I'm married."_

_"Ah come on! Don't be so prude."_

_"Ichigo, let's go."_

_"Oh you're not going anywhere."_

"There was… a struggle," Ichigo stammered. "I guess in order to weaken my mother, the man decided to cut her with his knife. But my mother was moving so much, that the cut went a lot deeper then he probably planned."

Ichigo's head was swimming. He could see the man's face turn white at the realization of what he'd done and let go of her and sprint away. He could see his mother step back shakily before collapsing on the hard, wet pavement. He could see the blood gushing from her torso and the back of her head. He could see the look of panic in his mother's eyes, which had looked so warm and happy just minutes ago. He could smell the rain and feel the terror he felt from not being able to save his mother. Oh, it was so _real_.

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" Ichigo blinked and glanced at Rukia, who was staring at him with concern.

"You got quiet all of a sudden," Rukia whispered.

Ichigo's eyes burned. He was tearing up. "I-I couldn't protect her," he rasped. "I know that I was so young that there wasn't anything I could do but…I can't help but feel as if I could've saved her. My parents…they named me "Ichigo" because one definition is "one who protects." When my mother told me that, I knew that I wanted nothing more than to be able to protect my loved ones. And I failed to protect her."

As the words came out, it suddenly occurred to Ichigo that he hadn't been mentally healthy since that time. He had succeeded to bury memory for a while, but as he grew older, it became more difficult to hide it and attempts to forget only hurt him. The rage he felt when he saw Orihime with Grimmjow…some of it may have actually come from the pain and anger he felt from losing his mother. As Ichigo thought about it, he realized that Grimmjow and that man somewhat resembled each other: both were tall, muscular, and had spiky hair.

Rukia said nothing. Instead, she placed her tiny hand on his head and slowly moved it so that he was leaning on her shoulder. The gesture was simple, but comforting. Ichigo closed his eyes.

"I don't know your mother well," Rukia murmured. "But I don't think she'd want you to beat yourself up over it."

Ichigo opened his eyes and stared at Rukia. It was ironic how he had told Rangiku something similar and yet, never thought to think of that towards his own situation.

"You're growing, too, you know," Rukia added with a gentle smile that made Ichigo stop breathing and his heart ache.

Ichigo gave a small smile in return. The scent of rain was fading and Ichigo felt a lot lighter, as if a heavy weight was lifted off of him. Before he could stop himself, he touched his lips to Rukia's forehead. He couldn't tell if she was blushing or if her face was still red from her tears.

"Thank you, Rukia."

* * *

><p><strong>OK so this chapter was really angsty and I hope it wasn't too much, or that it felt too rushed. This chapter was originally gonna be chapter 15 but I pushed it back because I was worried it would feel too soon.<strong>

**I really wanna know how you guys feel about this. I hoped it didn't disappoint, because it was difficult to write and you all had to wait a while.**

**Thank you!**


	17. Struck by Lightning

**SOOOOOOO sorry for the long wait (again)!**

**Hopefully you guys still remember the plot & don't murder me after reading this!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

Struck by Lightning

"And then Rukia said I was being stupid for thinking that Chizuru could even be _remotely _attracted to me. Apparently, Chizuru's gay and I'm not her type anyway," Ichigo said.

During breakfast, Ichigo had caught the red-haired sex addict staring in his direction with a huge, lustful smile and wide eyes. Keigo had often told Ichigo that women found him "hot," which is why they acted weirdly around him. Though he didn't see why Keigo would lie, Ichigo never truly believed him. Many times, especially as a teenager, Ichigo wore a giant, unappealing scowl. Paired with his abnormal spiky, orange hair, Ichigo thought he looked like a tall, angry, orange porcupine.

But Chizuru really did seem to have been checking him out.

"Chizuru's staring at me. What should I do?" Ichigo had asked.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Fuckboy, Chizuru is looking at Rangiku."

Kenpachi and Rangiku, who had been sitting across from Ichigo, laughed. Toshiro looked annoyed as usual.

Ichigo flushed. "Sorry, but it she did seem to be looking at me."

"You're stupid," Rukia retorted. "Chizuru's a huge lesbian. Even if she were attracted to guys, there's no way she'd be remotely attracted to you. You're not her type at all…fuckboy."

"FUCKBOY! FUCKBOY! FUCKBOY!_" _Rangiku and Kenpachi had chanted, causing everyone to turn and stare at the extremely embarrassed Ichigo.

And now, Ichigo was in Urahara's office, telling him everything. Normally, Ichigo hated speaking of embarrassing situations, but he decided to start opening up to Urahara more. It would be good for him.

To his surprise, Urahara hadn't cracked a smile the whole time. He just nodded every few seconds and Ichigo was beginning to wonder if he had been listening in the first place.

"And Rangiku and Kenpachi was screaming "fuckboy," whatever that means, over and over again and everyone was staring! I wanted to shoot myself; it was so embarrassing!" Ichigo paused, wondering how to end his story. "And uh…yeah…"

Urahara said nothing for a moment before slowly replying, "Ichigo, do you know what day it is?"

Ichigo blinked. "Um, February 26th?"

"Correct! And what day did you come here?"

"October 19th?"

"Which means you've been here for…?"

"A little over four months?"

Urahara smiled. "Correct. You're ready."

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows. What was he talking about? "What am I ready for?"

"I'm sure you've heard the rules," Urahara said. "If a patient has been here for at least four months, and are deemed healthy enough by their therapist, they are permitted to go out once a week. And you are ready."

_Ready_. Ichigo's mouth hung open a little as his mind wrapped around that one word. _Ready._

No, _healthy enough_. That phrase was closer to the truth, and meant a hell lot more to Ichigo. It meant that even if Ichigo wasn't fully recovered, he was getting there. He was getting _better_.

Ichigo laughed; he couldn't help himself. It was like he just won the lottery.

"You're happy," Urahara said.

"Of course I am! That's the best news I've heard in a while! I'm no longer going to be in here 24/7 and more importantly, _I'm recovering_! I'm close to a silver lining! Oh god, I can't wait to tell everyone! Actually-" Ichigo shot up from his seat and to the door, his heart pounding. "-I have to tell everyone now! Thank you and good night!"

"You're welcome!" Ichigo heard Urahara call out as he sprinted through the hallway.

Ichigo's entire body felt light, as if he were slowly rising from the ground. He felt like a dog being let out into a huge field.

Unable to contain his excitement, he jumped, stretched his arms and let out a big "YAHO!" 

* * *

><p>"You look very excited," Unohana said as Ichigo walked out of the cafeteria.<p>

"Of course he is!" Rangiku exclaimed, jumping from behind and wrapping her arm around Ichigo. "He's getting out of here!"

Ichigo chuckled. "Just for today."

Last night, Urahara informed Ichigo that he was eligible to go out once a week. Out of excitement, Ichigo burst into the common room and loudly declared the amazing news. Kenpachi and Rangiku were ecstatic and nearly snapped Ichigo's body with their hugs. Toshiro patted his shoulder and congratulated him. Rukia just smiled.

"Well, your escort has to take you to the front desk and sign you out," Unohana said. "She'll be here shortly. Have fun, Mr. Kurosaki! Everyone else, have a nice day!" And with that, Unohana walked off, but not before glancing reproachfully at Kenpachi, who was staring at the ground.

"Hey Kenpachi, how's the letter going?" Ichigo asked when Unohana was out of earshot.

Kenpachi looked up and grinned. "I'm not done with it yet but so far, it's not awful. I'll let you and Toshiro proofread when I'm finished."

"I want to read it, too!" Rangiku said.

"Oh _hell_ no! If you get your hands on my letter, you're going to draw hearts everywhere and write quotes from that stupid chick flick!"

"For your information, _The Notebook _is a classic. The quotes are extremely romantic and every girl loves them!"

"Maybe but Unohana isn't a girl! She's a woman!"

"I'm a woman too!"

"You're a 13 year old girl trapped in a 36 year old woman's body! _Huge _difference!"

While Rangiku and Kenpachi bickered, Ichigo turned to Rukia. As happy as he was about going out, Ichigo couldn't help but feel guilty over missing practice.

"If you want, I can come back earlier," Ichigo offered. "Maybe sometime after lunch?"

Rukia smirked and waved one hand. "Nah, it's fine. I actually want you to go out. It's good for you."

Ichigo smirked back. "Thanks, Rukia."

"Mr. Kurosaki?" An unfamiliar voice said.

Ichigo turned around and saw a tall nurse with a lavender pixie cut. She looked nervous.

"Yeah, that's me," Ichigo said. "Are you my escort for today?"

The nurse nodded a bit too quickly. "Yes! I'm Miss Kotetsu. I have to take you to the front desk now."

"OK," Ichigo said. He turned to say goodbye to everyone, but Rukia was the only one other than him to notice Miss Kotetsu. Kenpachi and Rangiku were still arguing and Toshiro was just…gone. Knowing Toshiro, he probably just left so avoid listening to Kenpachi and Rangiku.

"Well, I'll see you later," Ichigo told Rukia.

"Yeah, see ya," Rukia replied. "Remember, don't be stupid."

"I'll try." He nodded at Miss Kotetsu. "Well then, let's go."

The cafeteria wasn't far from the front desk, but the walk felt extremely long. Miss Kotetsu was awkwardly quiet and despite being a fast talker, a slow walker.

When they finally reached the front desk, Ichigo signed a contract about safety or whatever, and a sign-out sheet.

"Where would you like to go first, Mr. Kurosaki?" Miss Kotetsu asked as they headed towards the door.

Ichigo shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. I think I'm just gonna walk around and see what I'm in the mood for."

"R-Right."

They were at the door now. Ichigo took a deep breath, opened it, and was instantly met with the cold winter air. It nipped the tip of his nose.

"Let's go this way," Ichigo said, pointing to the left as they stepped out. They walked in that direction.

Since March was just around the corner, much of the snow was melted. Whatever was left was gray mush. Yuck.

It was morning, so the streets were crowded with people on their way to work. Ichigo wondered if he would see a familiar face.

"By the way, what's your first name?" Ichigo asked.

Miss Kotetsu looked startled. "M-My first name?"

"Yeah. I hate being formal, so you can just call me 'Ichigo' and I'll call you by your first name."

"That's inappropriate, Mr. Kurosaki!"

"It's what I want though, and it isn't hurting anyone. Unohana does it all the time when we're alone."

Miss Kotetsu flinched. "You and Miss Unohana…?"

"What?! No! I mean when she's escorting me and there's no one else around."

"Oh, well…if Miss Unohana does it…" Miss Kotetsu hesitated. "My name is Isane."

"Hello, Isane," Ichigo said. "Why are you so nervous?"

Isane flushed. "Miss Unohana told me to escort you. Whatever she tells me to do, I have to do it perfectly. I don't want to disappoint her!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "_That's_ what you're so nervous about? Letting down Unohana?"

"Miss Unohana is like a mother to me!" Isane said defensively. "Disappointing her would be the worst!"

"Well, if you two are so close, then she'll be fine with you just trying your best." Ichigo looked around and saw a store called _The Chocolate Factory._ Chocolate was Ichigo's favorite food, and he hadn't eaten any in a while.

"Let's go in here," Ichigo said.

When they entered the store, Ichigo was hit by the sweet scent of chocolate. All around the store were shelves and racks of chocolate bars, chocolate cake, chocolate balls, chocolate _everything_. Ichigo could even see a chocolate fountain in the back.

"Holy shit," Ichigo mumbled. He glanced over at Isane, who stared with her mouth open.

Isane looked down at Ichigo. "So, um, I suppose we can split up in here. Meet me at the door when you're done."

Suddenly, Ichigo remembered something important: he didn't have any money on him.

"Wait, I don't have any money now," Ichigo said. "I can run down to the bank and withdraw some."

Isane shook her head. "We can't be that far apart Mr. Ku-I mean, Ichigo! You can just pay me back later."

Ichigo hated when people bought things for him when it wasn't Christmas or his birthday. Even if he was going to pay back later, the idea of people spending money on him made him uncomfortable.

"I don't have to get anything," Ichigo said. "I can just look around."

Isane shook her head again. "No, I'll buy whatever you want. You're not going to spend your first day out getting nothing. Next week, we can go to the bank and you can get your own money and pay me back then. But for today, let me buy you what you want."

"Oh. OK," Ichigo said, taken aback by the firmness of her tone. "I'll come to you when I have everything."

Isane smiled. "I'll be at the chocolate fountain for now."

While Isane dashed to the back of the room, Ichigo glanced around and ran his fingers along a rack labeled "POP Chocolate Bars." He picked a bar up and saw that the black wrapper was covered in a rainbow of overlapping patterns, like a wall of graffiti. Some of the patterns were random shapes, some were emoticons, and some were words. Ichigo brushed his thumb over the word "SICK."

Ichigo tucked the chocolate bar into his coat pocket and turned to look around some more. As he did so, his eyes trailed past the window and caught a flash of orange in the dull winter colors.

Somewhat startled, Ichigo's head turned sharply. He stared out the window and saw a group of people waiting to cross the street. Among the dark heads was an orange one. The hair was shiny, long and straight until the bottom where it curled slightly. The head was small and round and simultaneously sharp and soft looking: the type of head where you could tell the person was beautiful without having the look at their face.

Ichigo recognized it because he had seen the back of that head too many times.

_Orihime_.

Ichigo walked out of the _The Chocolate Factory_, taking long, fast strides. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew it was beyond stupid to go to her.

But he needed to talk to her.

He had too many questions.

"Orihime!" Ichigo called out as he neared the crowd.

Orihime's back stiffened slightly at the sudden sound of her name before turning around, her eyes wide and lips open.

Ichigo halted. It had been so long since he had seen her and their marriage had ended on such bad terms. And now, here she was standing a few feet away from him and looking just as beautiful as before.

They stood there staring at each other in silence, with Orihime's expressions ranging from shock to sadness and…fear.

She ran.

And Ichigo ran after her.

"Orihime, wait!" Ichigo cried, his heart pounding painfully against his chest. "Orihime, I need to talk to you! Orihime!"

Orihime didn't stop. She was faster than Ichigo remembered.

Suddenly, Orihime slid forward, probably on ice, and waved her arms frantically to maintain balance. Her decrease in speed allowed Ichigo to catch up to her. He caught her arm to keep her from falling.

"Orihime-"

"Let me go!" Orihime was pulling her arm back, trying to free herself. Her face was turned away from him. "You have a restraining order! Let me go!"

Ichigo's heart sank. "P-Please Orihime! I just need to talk! It doesn't have to take long! Please!"

"L-Let me go!" Orihime's voice was shaking

People were surrounding them now. They were staring.

"She said to let her go!" One man said, grabbing Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo elbowed him in the chest, forcing him to back off. A few people screamed.

"Someone should call the police!" A woman exclaimed.

The entire world seemed to be spinning. Ichigo's head was beginning to hurt. "Orihime, we need to TALK!"

"No we don't! Just let me go!"

"I CAN'T!"

"Stop shouting!"

"I'M NOT SHOUTING! JUST PLEASE HEAR ME OUT!"

Orihime stopped struggling. Breathing heavily, she slowly looked up. Her brown eyes, normally expressing a bubbly optimism Ichigo never completely understood, were filled with tears.

"I-Ichigo…please," she whispered. "Let me go…I just want…" her voice choked up.

Ichigo felt numb. Either he was emotionless, or was feeling too many things at once. He reluctantly released her. Instead of walking away like he expected, Orihime remained and stared sadly at him.

A siren blared. Ichigo felt someone place their hand on his shoulder.

"What's going on?" A policeman asked.

"Officer, this man was harassing this poor woman," The woman from before said, pointing at Orihime.

Orihime opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

The policeman turned his head and studied Ichigo's face. "Wait a fucking minute. Aren't you the doctor that beat the shit out of that naked guy?" He glanced at Orihime. "And this lady…wasn't she there too?" His eyes trailed down Orihime's body and he nodded to himself.

"Well it looks like you got yourself in trouble again," The policeman said. He handcuffed Ichigo, who lost all of his energy, and guided him into the car.

"W-Wait!" Ichigo and the policeman turned and saw Isane running to them, her eyes wide with fear.

Isane stopped before them and bent down to clutch her knees. She was breathing hard. "O-Officer. That man is a patient at Las Noches. Please let me take him back. We'll decide how to deal with him."

The policeman sighed. "I'm afraid I might not be allowed to do that."

Isane was practically crying. "Please Officer! This is a sick man, and he went to the police department before during a difficult time. Bringing him there may be triggering. Let me take him back to Las Noches. We can handle him more easily."

The policeman hesitated. "I suppose…but it might not be a good idea for you to bring him back alone. I'll give you two a ride and explain everything. Is Mr. Aizen there?"

Isane swallowed. "Right now? I believe so."

"Perfect. I can tell him the dangers of letting sick people out in public. Now, get in the car."

The three of them entered the car. The crowd that had surrounded them began to disperse, though Ichigo could tell they were still talking about him.

Ichigo gazed out the window. As the car began to move, Ichigo could see a single tear roll down Orihime's cheek before she turned and ran. 

* * *

><p>The next hour was a blur. Ichigo remembered seeing Unohana's concerned blue eyes. Isane crying about how this was all her fault. An expressionless Aizen as the policeman told him about the incident.<p>

Now, Ichigo was alone sitting in Aizen's office, staring at an upside-down photograph on his desk. In the photograph, a younger Aizen was with an ethereal, raven haired woman. His hair was messy instead of slicked back and he was smiling. Not smirking like he did now, but smiling with his teeth showing. His eyes were bright, too. He looked happy.

The wooden frame of the photograph was placed down instead of propped up, as if Aizen was just holding and looking at it.

From behind, Ichigo heard a door open and then close.

"My my, you sure got yourself in trouble, Kurosaki Ichigo," Aizen said as he sat down in the leather chair across from Ichigo. His eyes followed Ichigo's gaze and darkened. He took the photograph and placed it in a drawer.

"I-I didn't harass her," Ichigo mumbled.

"Officer Aramaki told me otherwise. He has several witnesses too." Ichigo couldn't tell if Aizen was using his normal tone or was amused.

"What's going to happen to me?" Ichigo's voice was barely a whisper. "Is my 'going out' privilege gonna be taken away?"

Aizen sighed. "I hate doing this, Mr. Kurosaki. I truly do. However, when dealing with mentally ill people, I have to consider the public's safety and interest. If a patient is going to stir up trouble and threaten the wellbeing of others, I have no choice but to confine that patient behind these walls for a certain period of time."

A chill ran down Ichigo's spine as he slowly looked up at Aizen. "W-What do you mean?"

Aizen leaned forward. "It means that you will be forbidden from stepping out of Las Noches for some time: possibly several months. You cannot leave even for special occasions."

Ichigo felt a jolt, as if he were just struck by lightning. "B-But my sister…my younger sister's wedding is in a couple of months! A-And I have this dance thing coming up too!"

Aizen shrugged. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kurosaki, but you cannot attend them."

Ichigo's eyes stung and Aizen's face blurred. He was tearing up. "Please, Mr. Aizen, make an exception! Let me attend my sister's wedding and this dance competition! I promise I'll stay in here for every other day, even Christmas if my confinement lasts that long! Let me out for just these two days!"

"I cannot."

"Y-Yes you can! You're the one who makes all the rules! You can make an exception!"

"If I could, I would, but I truly cannot. As I said before, I have to consider the public's interest."

"And my sister is apart of the public! And she wants me to attend her wedding! I promised her I would go, Mr. Aizen. I made a commitment, and not just to her but to Ru-Miss Kuchiki! I promised Miss Kuchiki that I would be her dance partner!" Tears were streaming down Ichigo's face now. His heart was twisting tightly.

Aizen propped his elbows on his desk and placed his hands together so that they were covering his mouth. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kurosaki. There's nothing I can do."

Ichigo felt as if his body were made of glass, and his glass body had just shattered into millions of pieces. Aizen shut his eyes for a moment before slowly standing up and walking away. Ichigo heard the door open.

"I'll let you stay here for a few minutes, if you want," Aizen said. "I understand that you received heartbreaking news and need time to take it in." He closed the door.

Ichigo sat there alone with the only sound being his sharp breathing. After a few moments of slow, painful agony, Ichigo buried his tear-streaked face into his hands as the world around him collapsed.

* * *

><p><strong>As I said before, please don't kill me. I know this chapter must've been super frustrating to read but I promise I did it for a reason.<strong>

**I've been getting several reviews asking about Orihime-how she's doing and whatnot-and I hope this chapter gave you all an idea! I'll reveal more later one.**

**Thank you!**


	18. The Bet

**Hi everyone! So sorry for not updating in so long, but don't worry I'm still alive!**

**This chapter is from Rukia's POV this time. I've had this chapter planned for a while so I was really excited to write this. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 18<p>

The Bet

_"Ichigo, what are you-?"_

_"I-I screwed up, Rukia!" He was hyperventilating. "I-I s-screwed up…screwed up big time!"_

_"Calm down, what did you do?"_

_"I was so stupid! I was so incredibly stupid! Why was I so stupid?"_

_"What did you do!?"_

_"I saw her today and-and ran after her…the police came and now I can't attend Yuzu's wedding or the dance tournament!"_

_"Wait, WHAT?!"_

_"I can't go out…I-I'm sorry, Rukia. I'm so sorry…"_

Fists clenching, Rukia quickened her pace. She was furious for several reasons:

1. Ichigo was truly stupid. She knew he was impulsive and did stupid things as a result, but what he did the other day? That was inexcusably stupid and messed everything up.

2. Aizen was the biggest bastard to walk the planet. The "I care so much about the public!" facade was such bullshit.

3. Because of Aizen, Ichigo can't go to his sweet sister's wedding. That's just cruel.

4. Also because of Aizen, Rukia lost her dance partner and can't participate in the dance tournament. Seriously, _fuck_ Aizen.

5. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Rukia was personally bothered by the fact Ichigo chased after his ex. God, the whole incident sounded like it came from a bad Nicholas Sparks novel. It was cringe-worthy.

As Rukia made her way down the hall, she suddenly realized the irony of her situation. She was frustrated with Ichigo for his impulsiveness and now, out of that frustration, she herself was doing something impulsive.

_Jesus, I'm such a hypocrite. But I have to do this._

Taking a deep breath, Rukia turned left and stopped in front of a place she never wanted to see again.

Aizen's office.

Rukia raised her fist and froze before she could knock. She had only been in there once, and it was an awful experience. Knowing Aizen, he didn't forget their first meeting. He was definitely going to be relentless with her.

_It's OK, Rukia_, she told herself. _This is important. You have to do this._

She knocked the door.

"Come in!" She heard Aizen say and slowly opened the door.

Aizen was sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork on his desk. His eyes widened slightly before glowing with amusement.

"Kuchiki Rukia, long time no see! Please, take a seat."

"This isn't a bad time for you, right?" Rukia asked dryly, eyeing the paperwork.

Aizen smirked. "It's really not a huge deal. These aren't due for a long time. Besides, I'm infinitely more interested in what _you_ have to say."

Rukia sat down and stared hard at Aizen. "I want you to allow Mr. Kurosaki to attend his sister's wedding and the Karakura Dance Tournament."

Aizen cocked his head. "Did Mr. Kurosaki ask you to do this?"

"Mr. Kurosaki didn't ask me to do anything," Rukia said. "It was my decision only to talk to you."

Aizen chuckled. "You really do enjoy giving people favors, don't you?"

Rukia couldn't help but wince. Damn, he really did remember.

Trying to keep her voice from shaking, Rukia said, "Please, Mr. Aizen. It's only two days, and he won't be alone. He can have nurses stay by his side."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

"Yes you can. You're just not particularly interested in doing so."

"I suppose that's true to a certain extent. I see no point in helping Mr. Kurosaki after what he did."

"He's a patient at your hospital. You're supposed to help."

"I'm supposed to help without bringing harm to others. Mr. Kurosaki harassed someone on the street, and injured another. He's too dangerous to be let out."

Rukia curled her lip. She desperately wanted to punch the smirk off Aizen's face.

"Mr. Kurosaki isn't dangerous. He's just stupid sometimes."

"And that can be dangerous as well."

"I won't deny that. But Mr. Aizen, _everyone_ is stupid sometimes. Everyone has done something that had negative consequences. However, not everyone is stripped away of freedom as a result. People can learn from their mistakes, Mr. Aizen, and judging by Mr. Kurosaki's behavior last night, I'm sure he's learned his lesson."

"Why are you doing this?" Aizen suddenly asked. "Coming in here on your own will…to be honest, I'm baffled. Why are you trying so hard to help Mr. Kurosaki? What's in it for you?" He raised one eyebrow and grinned lecherously. "Do you and Mr. Kurosaki have a _special_ relationship?"

In that moment, Rukia realized that her heart was pounding like crazy, as if it were trying to escape from its cage. Rukia hoped that Aizen couldn't sense her nervousness. If she knew anything about him, it was that showing strong emotions was the worst thing someone could do around him. Staying calm and logical was the only way to deal with Aizen.

"Mr. Kurosaki is my dance partner," Rukia said as calmly as possible. "Without him, I won't be able to participate in the dance tournament, and this dance tournament is something I've wanted to do for a few years. Mr. Kurosaki and I have no "special" relationship. I'm just helping him because ultimately, it will benefit myself."

Aizen seemed pleased with her response. Or maybe he was just amused. "And what about the wedding? What could you possibly gain from Mr. Kurosaki attending it?"

Rukia shrugged. "Out of good will, Mr. Kurosaki agreed to be my partner without receiving anything in return. However, I hate being in debt. Helping Mr. Kurosaki attend his sister's wedding will relieve me of said debt."

"'Out of good will,' huh?" Aizen murmured. In a louder tone, he added, "Is Mr. Kurosaki truly so kind that he's willing to make such a huge commitment to someone he's not close with, without gaining anything in return?"

An image of The Letter flashed through Rukia's head. "I suppose he wanted to redeem himself," she said, thinking quickly. "Imagine being held up in high esteem for years and suddenly being thrown into a mental hospital. It must have been a huge blow to his pride."

"And he thinks dancing will help?"

"Mr. Kurosaki seems to have a hero complex," Rukia said. "He desperately wants to fix everyone's problems. Helping me with this dance tournament, which you pointed out is a huge commitment, would certainly make him feel better."

To Rukia's surprise, Aizen buried his face in his hands and laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Kuchiki, Rukia!" Aizen raised his head and put his hands down. "You're different from that woman I met a few years ago."

"I should hope so," Rukia replied dryly. "If I were the same, it would mean my health wasn't improving."

Aizen smirked. "I'll never forget the day we first met, you know. You tried to act so tough and independent. But in those pretty eyes of yours, I could see how broken you were. And I don't blame you. It must have been difficult…"

Rukia's entire body grew cold and her heart pounded harder. She knew where Aizen was going.

"…having your only friends betray you…"

Rukia opened her mouth to tell Aizen to stop, but her voice failed her.

"…having your love force himself on you…and then murdering him…"

"No…" Rukia barely whispered. An image of Kaien's eyes staring without life flashed through her mind. Her head throbbed.

Aizen's eyes sparkled with malice. "Falling in love again…only for him to die as well…"

Rukia was clenching her fists so tightly that her nails drew blood. But the physical pain seemed so minuscule compared to the storm of emotions raging through her.

"You bring pain to others," Aizen continued. "That's all you're good for. Everyone you meet ends up suffering."

"That's not true!" Rukia protested, her eyes stinging with tears. Deep down, she knew Aizen was just trying to get a reaction from her, and the best way to handle him was to remain calm. But his words had too great of an effect on her.

"Really?" Aizen seemed to be bursting with glee. "Then why did your brother send you here? Why does no one visit you?"

"Byakuya didn't send me here, I-"

"No one cares about you, Kuchiki Rukia," Aizen said. "Have you ever wondered why?"

_Yes_. "You're a disgusting human being," Rukia said. She shut her eyes and saw Rangiku, Kenpachi, and Toshiro. They had been intimidated by her for so long, but now, they treated her like she was always their good friend. She saw Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu, welcoming her with open arms, as if she were apart of the family. And finally, she saw Ichigo, giving her that stupid, encouraging grin of his. She saw Ichigo taking a seat at her table when he was still the new guy. God, that felt like years ago. She had been so hostile towards him, but Ichigo was stubborn. He wanted to be friends with her. And now…

Rukia opened her eyes, feeling much more confident. "There are people that care about me. You probably won't understand, but I have people in my life who want the best for me."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Want the best for you? Everyone says that. I could say I wanted the best for you when we-"

"Shut up," Rukia interrupted. "I was in a difficult position and you took advantage of that. You could never say you wanted the best for me. All you care about is yourself."

Aizen shrugged. "You enjoyed it a lot though."

"You slut-shamed me in front of basically everyone."

Aizen laughed. "It amazes me how upset you still are about that. That was years ago, Kuchiki Rukia! Let it go."

It took all of Rukia's energy to keep herself in her seat instead of jumping on Aizen and clawing his face. "We've gotten way off topic. How about you let Ichigo attend his sister's wedding and the dance tournament."

As soon as the words slipped out, Rukia realized the huge mistake she made. She referred to Ichigo by his first name.

"_Ichigo_?" Aizen laughed again. "Seems like you really are well acquainted with Mr. Kurosaki."

Rukia bristled. "What's your beef with him anyway? You seem so bent on keeping him locked up. I can't recall you treating a patient this way before."

"We have no 'beef,'" Aizen calmly replied. "Why would we? I actually find Mr. Kurosaki to be very interesting."

Rukia hated his tone. "What do you mean by 'interesting?'"

"He's a doctor. Isn't it ironic for a doctor to be the sick one? Las Noches has thousands of patients, and none of them were doctors. I think Mr. Kurosaki is a first."

All of a sudden, Rukia felt sick. "Mr. Aizen…how long have you known about him? After he checked in here, or for much longer?"

Aizen was silent for a moment, as if he were deciding whether to lie or be honest. "Of course I knew about him before he checked in. His…_incident _was in the news, you know."

"And…you found him interesting."

"Very. I followed the story diligently. I was even at the trial, though no one seemed to have noticed me."

Rukia wanted to throw up. "Were you _involved_ in any way?"

Aizen smirked and Rukia knew.

"You _bastard_!" Rukia snarled. "That's completely illegal and you could-_should_-be thrown in jail!"

"I'm a rich man," Aizen snorted. "I could get away with anything. I wouldn't have done anything, or tipped you off, if I knew I'd be caught."

"But why? Just because Mr. Kurosaki was a doctor?"

"How many men do you know would react calmly if he saw his wife sleeping with another man?" Aizen asked. "He's a doctor, too. He could've gotten away with it. But I'm sure you know that Mr. Kurosaki _does_ have mental problems. He needed to come here."

"No, you just needed another person to ruin. And a doctor would've been a new experience for you." Rukia stood up, heart pounding. "You're a disgusting human being. All you want in life is money and people to play with. But if you like games so much, I have one for you. The dance tournament is before Miss Kurosaki's wedding. Let Mr. Kurosaki attend it. If we get a score of at least 5, Mr. Kurosaki gets to attend the wedding. If we score lower, you can keep him locked up."

Aizen tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know me well, Kuchiki Rukia. I'll admit, your offer is quite enticing. It's been a while since I've gambled." He paused. "Make the score at least 6 and you have a deal."

Rukia wet her lips. Getting a 6 was actually rather difficult. But what choice did she have? There was no way she could bargain.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>Rukia's heart pounded as she ran to Ichigo's room. She knocked hard on his door. "ICHIGO! ICHIGO!"<p>

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Rukia heard a few footsteps and the door opened. Ichigo looked like shit. There were heavy bags under his eyes and his clothes and hair were disheveled.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo said in the most despondent voice. He held out a chocolate. "I just realized that I accidentally stole this. Could you return it for me when you go out? I think the place is called _The Chocolate Factory_."

"You can return it yourself," Rukia said. "I just spoke with Aizen. You can attend the dance tournament."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "_What_?"

Rukia took a deep breath. "I just talked to Aizen. We made a bet. If we score at least a 6 at the dance tournament, you can go to Yuzu's wedding."

"And if we don't?"

"Then you can't."

Ichigo bit his lip. "Isn't getting a 6 like, really hard?"

"That's why we have to practice even more." Rukia squeezed Ichigo's arm in assurance. "We can do it, Ichigo. Don't worry."

Ichigo stared at Rukia's hand on his arm, and then at Rukia. He cocked his head. "Is something bothering you? You look…concerned. Did Aizen say anything?"

Rukia froze. She'd been wondering whether or not to tell Ichigo the real reason why he was in Las Noches. A part of her didn't want to. She'd hate to see Ichigo's reaction. But he deserved to know.

Rukia chose her words carefully. "Aizen…told me something funny about you."

Ichigo blinked. "What did he say?"

Rukia suddenly couldn't maintain eye contact with Ichigo. She looked down. "There's…there's a good chance that you didn't actually have to come here. But Aizen is selfish and manipulative and cruel so he…messed with the system a bit. Ichigo, I'm so _so_ sorry."

Rukia glanced back up. Ichigo's expression was unreadable as he pulled away from her. He buried his face in his hands. Before Rukia could go up and hug him, Ichigo looked back at her and sighed.

"There's nothing we could do about that, right?" He said. "Whatever he did was absolutely disgusting and unforgivable, but we have no proof." He paused and seemed to be thinking hard. At last, he gave Rukia a small smile that made her heart flutter.

"I guess…I guess I should actually thank Aizen. Because coming here has actually been good for me in a few big ways."

Rukia was completely taken aback by Ichigo's words. This was not the reaction she had been anticipating. Despite everything, he seemed so optimistic. She studied Ichigo's face. He was still smiling and Rukia understood that it was genuine.

So she smiled back, knowing that whatever happened, they would come out alright.


End file.
